Is That A Promise
by OodHappenings
Summary: Starting after "Something Borrowed" what happened between the JANTO pair and the adventures that follow. Contains a bit of everything, but mostly Ianto/Jack and Tosh/Owen {Rated M for content, also for the very rambely way I write, but it will all make sense in the end.}
1. Chapter 1: The Fight

Ianto Jones was sad. The man that he loved had spent the previous evening mourning the marriage of a woman that he had claimed not to love, slow dancing with the bride at her reception with tear filled eyes and sorrow etched brows. He too, had received a dance from his lover, much to the chagrin of those in attendance; cruel taunts had swirled around him as the normally reserved man had for once worn his heart on his sleeve. An act that he would never again repeat. Because the taunts and jeers did not bother him, it was the way that he poured his heart and soul into dancing with the man of his dreams, only to have said man gaze longingly at the bride across the room. Only to have that man hold him at a distance, while he had held Gwen to his chest. It burned him now, sitting at the bar of a seedy old pub in the middle of Cardiff. It seared through his heart and into his very soul. Ianto Jones took another swig of the amber colored liquid in his glass swirling it around the bottom of the tumbler as though that action would wash away his pain.

Captain Jack Harkness felt like an ass. Last night he had saved a close friend from a Nostrovite laced wedding; played the part of the dashing hero to a woman he didn't love, danced with her at her wedding, and utterly shattered the love of his life's heart. Naturally at the time he hadn't thought anything of it, he was reminiscing on his past weddings, mourning the loss of those he had once loved. Dancing with Gwen was his goodbye to those memories. His Homage to the women of his past. He hadn't realized tat he had held her that close, or that he had gazed at her with such passion. He hadn't been looking at her, but to everyone else it looked like it. Even to himself, watching the footage of it in his office, a glass of whiskey clutched in his hand, did he see the apparent love that he had unwittingly poured into that dance. He could see the way that anyone else would have thought that he had been mourning her marriage, not those that had passed. He watched with bated breath for the moment when his blushing Welshman had interrupted the dance, all red ears and rosy cheeks. He saw how Gwen had smiled and offered her hand, only to have him turn to Jack. He could see the shock scrawl across his face, and those of many others. He knew the lengths of courage that it would have taken for his Ianto to such a thing. And he felt guilty. He watched it now, as Ianto poured every ounce of himself into Dancing with Him, regardless of the judgment being passed. He felt the knot in his heart tighten mercilessly as he saw himself distance from Ianto, gazing off at Gwen with Glazed eyes, simply going through the motions of dancing. He shuddered, taking a long slow sip of his whiskey, trying to burn away his self-loathing.

Ianto Jones was drunk. He had been at this bar for hours, drowning his sorrows and trying to find solace in a bottle of whiskey. The man across the bar had been Ianto really wasn't in the mood for company. He stood to leave only to sway against the bar, obviously more drunk than he had thought.

"Hey, mate, need a lift?" The suave blond from across the bar asked and Ianto shook his head, a polite smile firmly in place.

"Nah, I'mma catch a cab. Thanks for the offer though." Ianto pulled out his cellphone dialing the number to call a cab, but the blonde would not stop.

"Come on gorgeous, let me give you a lift, you look like you could use some company." Ianto rolled his eyes, before fixing the intrusive man with a hard glare.

"No Thanks." He pressed send hailing a cab, but the blonde simply followed him out.

"Look, mate, you really shouldn't be alone. Come on, your bed should never grow cold." The Stranger put his arm on Ianto's spinning the Welshman around. Only to be met with a vicious right hook.

"Take a hint." Ianto snarled leaving the black eyed idiot staggering behind on the street.

Jack was going to die. He had never died this way before; it would be a new death for him. As he paced back and forth in his lovers living room he contemplated his next death, death by Ianto Jones. Normally such a thought would be preposterous, Ianto loved him, Ianto would never harm him, but Jack knew that tonight would be the night that Ianto would kill him, and it would be as good as his final death. Tonight would be the night that Ianto broke his heart.

The cab containing the very depressed, and very drunk Ianto Jones pulled up before the man's quaint little flat. He stumbled out, shakily handing the cabbie a tenner before staggering up the drive. He was crying. He could feel the tears streaming down his cheeks, hot and angry and filled with rage. He wanted to scream, wanted to curl up and disappear, wanted more than anything in the world to be wrapped tight in the arms of the man that he loved and cradled while he shook. Yet Ianto knew that the next time that he saw Captain Jack Harkness, he would end things. He couldn't take his heart being ripped to shreds with every wayward glance or one-liner. Ianto hoped that he could do this with dignity, suit pressed and cleaned, face and voice devoid of emotion that mask he had perfected so well. The alternative would be to break down, to cry and scream and through his fists, and pour his heart out in a manner that would make the older man laugh. Ianto could not even bear the thought of Jack laughing at the pathetic man that he had tricked into warming his bed. He would not get the satisfaction.

The sound of footsteps on the steps brought Jack out of his reverie. He paused in his pacing, holding his breath as he heard a thump on the door. Ianto was home, Ianto was home, and he was about to lose the one thing left in his life that he had found worth living for.

Ianto rested his hand on the door heavily, dismayed by the muted thump that the action made. He fiddled with his keys selecting the proper one before unlatching the door to his flat and stumbling in.

Even in the dark Jack could see that Ianto was drunk. His silhouette was stooped, the shoulders shaking ever so slightly he staggered in coat stripped haphazardly and tossed onto the rack, boots kicked off door slammed behind him. A few staggered steps to turn on the lights only to be reveal the horrified look on Ianto's face. Jack swallowed, unsure of what to do. He had come here to try and make amends, only to realize that Ianto wouldn't want him anymore, couldn't want him. He had been waiting in the dark for the punishment he had deserved, but what a cruel punishment indeed.

_I really must be drunk. _Ianto thought miserably running his hand wearily over his face. The initial shock of seeing Jack in his living room had scared him witless, but he had recovered enough. This had to be a hallucination, because the alternative would be that Jack had come for comfort. Ianto studied Jack carefully**, **assessing with cold determination the condition of the man before him. Jack looked as though he had been crying, and the slight pink tint to his cheeks revealed that he had been drinking. So that was it then, Jack wanted Ianto to comfort him.

Jack tried not to shrink under the piercing gaze of Ianto. He had no idea what the Welshman was thinking, even in his drunken state Ianto was unreadable.

"Why. Why are you here?" Ianto deadpanned. His voice hard and unforgiving. Jack cringed on the verge of tears.

"Ianto. I…your drunk." Ianto rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes Jack, how very astute of you to notice. I am drunk, and I would very much like to be alone." The last word forced its way through gritted teeth, and Jack couldn't help but let the tear escape.

"Ianto, I need you." Ianto was in front of him, jaw set, eyes hard, fists clenched, and his voice was low with barely concealed anger.

"For what, sir? To clean the HUB? To feed the Weevils. Oh, do you need a cup of coffee, and couldn't wait until tomorrow? Or maybe you just need quick shag. Something to take your mind off of recent events." Ianto was shaking now, with anger and pain and the unsteady fog of alcohol. "Well, sir, you can forget it. I can't do this-"He gestured around him broadly. "Anymore. It- You, are killing me. Breaking my heart at every turn." Ianto laughed a harsh and cruel sound deep in his throat. "Not like you care." Ianto had spun around then, his anger dissipating the liquor in his system. "Get out." He said quietly. His back to Jack.

"Ianto?" Jack squeaked reaching a tentative hand out to the man before him.

"Get out!" Ianto bellowed turning on his heels and pointing at the door. "We are over Jack. I can't keep pretending that we're ok. That I'm ok with we just shagging and never really being together. I can't keep holding myself together every time something comes up that makes me jealous over a man that I can never own. You can never be mine, no matter how much of me I give you." Ianto was deathly quiet now. All of his fury burned cold. "Get out Jack. I can't take it anymore."

Jack was crying now, the weight of how deeply he had harmed his lover crushing his heart. He wanted to wrap his arms around the Welshman, wrap him up and piece back together the heart that he had shattered. But Ianto didn't want him. He had blown it, he had lost it, and the fact that Ianto hadn't touched him, hadn't thrown any punches or raised his voice but once was enough to show Jack that it was over. He turned to the door, obeying the wishes of the man that he loved. Only to find that he couldn't. Something inside of him wanted to tell Ianto how he felt.

"I'm not leaving Ianto." Jack croaked. "I love you too much to go." That got Ianto's attention. Before Jack could react he was sprawled across the floor of the foyer, His face burning from the vicious punch.

"How dare you." Ianto seethed, cool eyes blazing with rekindled fury. "How DARE you say that." Ianto was standing over him now. "You think that after all that you've done. All that I have been through for you, because of you, that you could just haphazardly toss those words at me and expect me to believe it?" Ianto shook his head again, wrenching the door to the flat open and sending Jack scurrying out of its path. "If you won't leave Jack, then I will. Because I can't look at you anymore."


	2. Chapter 2: The Aftermath (Ianto)

Ianto was gone. He had stormed out the door of his flat, into the dark and damp of Cardiff at night. Ianto shivered cursing himself for not grabbing his coat on the way out. There was no way he was going back now; even looking at that flat would hurt him. Jack was there, in the walls, the sheets, the kitchen. He would see Jack in everything. Ianto groaned, leaning back against the cool stone of a darkened building and pulling out his ringing phone. It was Jack. He ignored it, trying desperately to fight the tears that burned his eyes, He needed to rest, to sleep and end this nightmare night. He called Tosh.

"Ianto, what is it? Its three AM." Ianto broke down sobbing quietly at the concern in his friend's voice.

"Tosh, I need… can I come over?" He knew that his words were slurring slightly and that his voice sounded strained. "OK, Ianto where are you, I'll pick you up." The Welshman looked around. "Corner of Elm and First." He shivered again, the bitter cold eating at his skin. "Alright Ianto I'll be there as soon as I can. Stay put." The other line of the phone went silent, and Ianto stood there shaking in the wind.

Jack curled up in a ball. Ianto was gone, forced out of his own flat because Jack had opened his mouth. "Of course he would think that." Jack shook his head. "After everything he does, all I do is shag him, and I expected him to believe me." He ground his head against his knees. Ianto was out there in the cold of Cardiff alone, in his thin shirt and trousers. He hadn't even grabbed his coat or boots_. He's in his socks for heaven sake! _ Jack bolted upright, snatching the boots from the ground beside him. And dashing out the door. "This is my chance. This is how I show that I care."

The sound of heavy footfalls pounding down the sidewalk was drowned out by Tosh pulling up against the curve. Ianto swiftly piled into the small car, letting out a small sigh at the comforting warmth. As the car pulled away Ianto caught site of none other than Jack standing short in the pale light of the street lamp, clutching a pair of his own boots to his chest, stopped and peered after the car.

The car ride was silent, with Ianto shaking in the passenger seat, and Tosh radiating fury at whoever had reduced her best friend to this state. They pulled up to Toshiko's apartment building, both hastily getting out of the car. Tosh ran around to the side, helping Ianto up and letting the exhausted man lean against her as they both walked up the steps to her flat. It wasn't a few steps later, when she felt Ianto wince, and a pained help escaped his lips. She looked down to see that not only was Ianto in his stockings, but there was blood seeping along the white cloth.

"Bloody kids." She rushed him inside, hastily pushing him onto the couch and tearing the sock off of his injured foot. The bottom of his foot was slashed open, shards of glass embedded in the wound.

"Ianto this is really bad, I don't think I can fix this. Let me call Owen." Ianto just nodded leaning his head back and trying to control his tears. A few moments, a few hours, Ianto couldn't tell, Owen showed up swearing softly.

"Tea-boy, bloody hell, what the hell happened? Did you get mugged?" Ianto laughed, the bitter noise forcing a concerned glance between the dead man and the technician.

"No Owen, I wasn't mugged, it isn't that easy." He yelped as Owen pulled a shard of glass from his foot.

"Did you and Captain Dumbass have a row?" Owen quipped and Ianto's wince confirmed it.

"I ended it." Ianto said and Tosh choked on her water.

"Ianto?" Owen said, now very concerned.

"I couldn't take it anymore. After last night I, I need to forget last night. I spent most of today at the pub, only to stumble home on Jack in my living room, expecting me to comfort him over Gwen. I mean really! How thick can that man get?" Ianto shook his head tears now streaming steadily down his cheeks. "God I must be bloody drunk. I'm talking about me feelings to Owen of all people." Another bitter laugh and a door slammed. Ianto opened his eyes to see that Tosh had gone, leaving him alone with Owen.

"This is going to need stitches." Owen grumbled pulling a suture from his med bag. "So, Ianto care to explain exactly why you couldn't grab some shoes or a coat before you stormed out of your flat?" the doctor pulled the suture through Ianto's foot expertly.

"Jack was sprawled out in the foyer. I couldn't reach my boots so I left without them." Owen quirked an eyebrow.

"And why was Jack sprawled out in Foyer."

"He told me that he loved me, I sent him sprawling." Ianto shrugged wincing as Owen pulled the suture taught and tied off the ends.

"You punched him for sharing his feelings?" Ianto growled.

"No, I punched him for lying to me. I punched him for thinking that those words were enough to fix things. He didn't mean it. He couldn't .You saw exactly what I did." Owen nodded getting the reference. "Well mate, your foot's all better, now, care to share the rest of the story?"


	3. Chapter 3: The Aftermath (Jack)

Toshiko Sato was furious. Her best friend was on her couch, in her flat, bawling his eyes out over a man who very publicly shattered his heart. As she streaked recklessly through the streets of Cardiff, hell bent on finding their idiotic Captain and giving him a piece of her mind.

Jack was crying. He seemed to be doing that a lot today, crying. But how could he not. He had hurt the man that he loved, and then that man had ended things. Jack rubbed his jaw absent mindedly. The bruise was still there, light, but not fully healed. Ianto really did have a hell of a right hook. Jack shook his head rubbing his eyes with the sleeves of his coat. The coat. The coat that Ianto loved, the very coat that had been the object of so many a romantic encounter between himself and his Welshman. No, not his Welshman, not anymore. Ianto had ended it, scrounged up the shards of his broken heart and walked away. Jack screamed. From the top of the Millennium Center the wind simply carried it away. He screamed at the top of his lungs for all that he had harmed. He screamed for Ianto, from breaking his heart and falling in love and losing the man of his dreams.

Owen Harper was dead. He had been dead, for a while now, but in death he had truly had time to evaluate his relationships with the people that he worked with. Gwen, she was like his kid sister, though how fucked up is it when you shagged your sister for a few weeks. Tosh, well, he loved Tosh, and nothing was worse than knowing that he could never physically love her, not in the way that he once could. Ianto, well, the dead man had grown rather attached to the Archivist. Tea-boy had evolved from an insult to a term of endearment. The last thing that he wanted to see was what he was staring at now.

Ianto jones was curled up on his best friend's couch, shuddering with sobs as Owen awkwardly rubbed soothing circles on his shoulders. "You know, Tea-boy, these things get better."

The Welshman sniffled. "This is really awkward Owen." The dead man chuckled, and Ianto let out a sobbing laugh.

"Really! I had no clue! Look, mate, I am shit at comfort, I know, but I'm still here for ya." Ianto leaned back out of Owen's grasp, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"I am going to be so bloody hung over tomorrow." Owen laughed again, a real laugh.

"It's time that you got to bed Tea-boy." Ianto wanted to say no. He wanted to cry and rant and rave at the world. But he was tired, and Jack was gone, and he had no reason to stay wake.

"Fine, but if you make any sort of pass on me while I'm out and you'll be dead, for real this time." The doctor smacked Ianto's shoulder lightly as the Welshman staggered to the loo.

Jack leaned over the edge, peering down at the ground below him, contemplating how long he would stay dead if he jumped. It would be a brief respite, he knew, and undeserved. The immortal pealed himself out of his coat, holding it away from him as if it held the key to getting Ianto back. A particularly strong gust of wind blew around him, sending Jack staggering back and the coat falling from his grasp, falling in a way that Jack wished to follow, strait down to the ground.

Tosh swerved out of the path of a rather large object descending from the sky. Torchwood training superseded even her need to find Jack as she grabbed her gun and checked her rift predictor. No spike, but it was definitely something large enough to warrant a look. She pulled over, cautiously approaching the heap of cloth that had fallen from the sky. Her breath caught in her throat. It was the Coat, Jack's Coat, uncharacteristically devoid of the emotionally ignorant captain that normally filled it. She gathered up the now sodden article in her arms, glancing around to make sure the owner was not around, before looking up. There, plain, as day, was the tiny silhouette of the man that she wanted to talk to. She tossed the coat into her car, locking the door before running into the building.

Ianto Jones was asleep. After much coaxing from Owen he had finally taken up residence in Toshiko's room, instead of crashing the couch. Owen knew that Tosh wouldn't be going to bed that night, and Ianto needed as much comfort as he could get. The dead man sighed, settling onto the couch to reevaluate exactly what Captain Jack Harkness was to him. The man had harmed his brother, and that needed to be punished.

Jack watched as Tosh scooped up the coat and stashed it, before heading towards him. He knew that he should run, that Tosh would probably want answers and explanations that it was painful to give, but he couldn't. He deserved whatever punishment that fate decided to hand him. He had been an ass. More than an ass, he had been utterly reckless with Ianto's heart.

Tosh flung open the door to the roof, only to see Jack leaning over the ledge of the roof staring down at the ground.

"So, you come to talk me down?" He asked voice raw from crying.

"Depends." She answered coolly.

"On what?" He turned, and even in the pale light Tosh could see the red rimmed eyes and tear stained cheeks of a man who had lost something dear to him.

"On your answers to a few of my questions." He nodded leaning his back against the ledge.

"Shoot." Tosh took a deep breath, hitting record on the device in her pocket.

"What the hell were you thinking?" "Jack jumped slightly, her harsh question was not what he had expected to hear.

"About what?"

"Gwen. I mean really Jack, what the hell? He loves you and he took a chance at publicly showing you that. And you humiliated him in front of everyone there!"

"I didn't mean to. I mean, I watched the footage Tosh! I saw how it looked. That's why I was at his flat. To apologize. To try and explain myself. But he was drunk Tosh. The last time I has ever seen him get that drunk was Lisa." Jack sunk down against the ledge head in his hands. "I broke him. I shattered his heart, and then I waltzed in there and thought that I could fix it with words."

Tosh kneeled in front of the now sobbing Captain, touched by the amount of emotion that the man was capable of having, but she still had questions that need to be answered.

"Why?"

"It wasn't because of Gwen that's for sure. I mean, I love her, but she's like the sister that I never had, all fire and spirit, but she isn't Ianto." He shook his head. "When I danced with her I felt like I was dancing with my first wife. I felt like I was saying goodbye to those memories, until that wedding dredged them up again. By the time Ianto cut in I was on the verge of breaking down. Not because I had lost Gwen, but because I remembered those who had come before Ianto. The weddings of my past."

He hugged his arms tighter around himself looking Tosh in the eye. "I have been a complete and utter arse Tosh. I broke the man of my dreams heart and didn't even notice."

"Is that why you're up here? To pay penance?"

"No, no sort of punishment can match the one that I brought upon myself. I lost Ianto, isn't that enough?" Tosh nodded fighting tears of her own. Jack really was an idiot, but a misguided one.

"And he is right; the dance was the tip of the iceberg. I've been taking advantage of him, I don't appreciate him nearly enough. Now I may never get the chance." He broke down again and Tosh wrapped her arms around the freezing man.

"Jack you are a clueless idiot, but Ianto loves you, and leaving you has hurt him way more than you can ever know." Jack looked the technician in the eye, searching, she knew, for the way to fix his erroneous actions.

"Tell you what, let's get you back to the HUB, get you warmed up, and then we can figure out a game plan to get him back, eh?" Jack smiled softly standing up and shuffling with the slender woman to the lift. Maybe, just maybe, he could fix this.

Tosh and Jack drove in silence to the HUB neither one knowing what else to say. Tosh settled Jack onto the couch, hit by how close his state was to Ianto's just hours earlier. She handed him a mug of tea, wincing at the slightly bitter taste.

"Thank you Tosh." He took a sip, leaning back on the couch. "You know, I promised him a date. When I came back. Hart had us running around, the two of us were searching this office of that damned canister, and I couldn't bear to see him so hurt. I really did want him to realize how much a cared for him, and I thought, well, a date would go a long way to that goal."

He took another sip of the bitter tea, Tosh silently goading him along. "We never got around to it. It has been how long, and between the Rift, the wedding, and my own inability to keep a damn promise, well it never happened." Tosh smiled softly,

"And if it were, if you could make it happen, what exactly would you do?" Jack chuckled setting the mug down on the table and drawing his legs up under him.

"Part of me just wants to whisk him away, a private weekend in Barcelona or Rome, just the two of us. The other, more romantic, side of me wants to take him out to dinner, to wine and dine and woo him in the oldest fashioned way that I could muster." Jack shook his head. "I would even cook for him." This really caught Tosh's attention. Jack didn't cook. Ever.

"You would cook him dinner. Like with real food?" Jack scrunched up his nose.

"Yes with real food. I'm almost 150 years old; I have learned how to cook." Tosh shook her head.

"Well Jack, you plead a pretty strong case for my help in getting him back, but it's going to take a hell of a lot more than some home cooking and a romantic gesture or too to manage this." Tosh pulled up her laptop, inserting the recording device into the port and emailing the contents to Owen.

"What's that?" Jack asked, curious.

"Your key to redemption."


	4. Chapter 4 :The Key

Owen Heard the soft ping of a text message and grabbed his phone.

TechSato -Owen, we have to get these two back together.

DeadManWalking- Why? I think that it's good for Tea-boy to be out of that relationship.

TechSato- Why do you say that?

DeadManWalking- As his Doctor? In being with Jack, he has gone through stages of depression, self-harm, anorexia, not to mention what sort of physical strains he puts him through with his "Borderline Avant Guard" shagging."

TechSato- And as his friend?

DeadManWalking- Ianto is like my little brother, and Jack keeps breaking his heart. I don't want to see him anymore hurt than he already is.

TechSato- And what about Jack?

DeadManWalking- He made his bed; as far as I care he can lay in it.

TechSato- But what if he didn't.

DeadManWalking- What have you got Tosh?

TechSato – Listen {Audio File Attached}

And the dead man did. He listened to the captain's broken and pained spiel, knowing that if he could cry, he probably would have.

DeadManWalking- Shit Tosh, we have to get these two back together.

TechSato- SO here is my plan.

And what a brilliant plan it was.


	5. Chapter 5:Good Morning

Owen Heard the soft ping of a text message and grabbed his phone.

TechSato -Owen, we have to get these two back together.

DeadManWalking- Why? I think that it's good for Tea-boy to be out of that relationship.

TechSato- Why do you say that?

DeadManWalking- As his Doctor? In being with Jack, he has gone through stages of depression, self-harm, anorexia, not to mention what sort of physical strains he puts him through with his "Borderline Avant Guard" shagging."

TechSato- And as his friend?

DeadManWalking- Ianto is like my little brother, and Jack keeps breaking his heart. I don't want to see him anymore hurt than he already is.

TechSato- And what about Jack?

DeadManWalking- He made his bed; as far as I care he can lay in it.

TechSato- But what if he didn't.

DeadManWalking- What have you got Tosh?

TechSato – Listen {Audio File Attached}

And the dead man did. He listened to the captain's broken and pained spiel, knowing that if he could cry, he probably would have.

DeadManWalking- Shit Tosh, we have to get these two back together.

TechSato- SO here is my plan.

And what a brilliant plan it was.


	6. Chapter 6: Have a Hart

The team returned to the HUB, slightly dirtied but no worse for wear. Tosh was the first to see the message light flickering on the screen.

"Hey, team Torchwood!" Jack froze, staring at the screen with horror. The last person that he had wanted to see was right in front of him.

"I was going to pop in for a visit, but I caught some interesting cinema on my way down." A few buttons were pressed and the footage of Gwen's wedding streamed across the screen. Followed by Jack and Tosh sitting in the HUB, and the playing of the Audio File that Tosh swore only Owen could have gotten his hands on. "It seems to me gorgeous, that you lost your Eye Candy."

Jack swore softly under his breath, not even bothering to be angered at Tosh for recording his confession.

"Hart, what the hell are you on about." Owen barked.

"Quiet Doc, I'm on your side. This time. I can't say that I liked seeing someone as beautiful as Eye Candy all heart broken, so I'm giving you a chance, here Jack. You have three days to find me, and rescue your handsome Prince, before I carry him off with me, through space and time." The sound of a groan behind the faux captain made him turn, "Three days Jacky boy. Make it count." Then it was gone.

Ianto woke up on a bed. The first thing he noticed was how soft it was, the second was that he could only move so far on it. He jolted upright, stretching the boundaries of his bindings. A good 6 inches every way, enough to be comfortable without getting enough leverage to get out of bed. The cool cloth didn't chafe his wrists, instead holding him firmly. He opened his eyes slowly, dreading what was to be seen. He was still fully clothed, thankfully, with only his tie slightly loosened. The bindings where cloth alright, but of a kind that even the son of a tailor couldn't place. Probably alien then. He was on some sort of quaint four post bed, complete with canopy. Another groan, this one of disgust, is this Jack's sick sort of idea of how to win him back? Tie him up and ravish him until he acquiesced? Well it wasn't going to work.

"Jack!" Ianto bellowed, anger spilling from his lips. He heard a soft chuckle-that wasn't Jack's- and a shadow pass behind the curtains of the bed. "This isn't funny." Ianto said, returning his voice to a state of deadly calm.

"It isn't a joke Eye Candy." Ianto jumped as the curtain disappeared, revealing the cocky visage of none other than John Hart. The man had a grin on his face, but upon seeing Ianto cringe away from him, it dimmed.

"Hey, relax Ianto; I'm not here to hurt you." Ianto rolled his eyes, keeping himself distanced.

"I find that hard to believe. You kidnapped me, and have me tied to a bed, in the middle of nowhere." John sighed, pulling a chair up to the bedside.

"I did this for you, well and to make that bastard of an ex sweat a little." Ianto laughed inwardly, Owen wasn't the only one how though Jack could be a Bastard. "I wanted to give you a choice. I saw what he did, at that- oh the overly excitable slutty one- her wedding and I wanted to throttle him." Ianto nodded.

"You and me both."

"And then I caught sight of you at that bar, and fighting of that blonde jack ass who wouldn't take a hint, and I realized that I actually don't want to see you going through all that." Ianto relaxed a fraction, still keeping his guard up, but looking the faux captain in the eye.

"Why?" John shrugged.

"I don't know, there is something about you Ianto Jones. You're like cat-nip to 51 century time agents. You draw us in with your beauty, and then keep us with your amazing personality and wit. It really isn't fair." Ianto was aghast. This man that he had hated for so long was here actually admitting his feelings for him, and worse Ianto felt for him. Maybe not what he felt for Jack, no, definitely not what he felt for Jack, but something.

"So what's the plan then? Kidnap me, tell me that you like me, and expect me to run into the sunset with you?" John laughed.

"No. I'm going to keep you here for a while, let Jack run the hounds searching for you, relax, I'm not going to hurt anybody, just through a few road blocks up and have him come to his senses a bit. If he cares, and finds you then great." Ianto looked warily at the Time Agent.

"What's the catch?" John grinned again, all charm.

"While we wait I'm going to wine and dine and try my damnedest to show you that I can be everything that you could ever want or need. And then, Ianto Jones, then you can choose."

Jack Harkness was livid. Not only had he just lost Ianto's heart, now be had his crazy ex-boyfriend vying against him to win it back. This is NOT how today was supposed to work. Jack punched the wall, satisfied by the smooth crack of knuckles smashing against brick. He was supposed to have Tosh lead Ianto out of the HUB, guide him secretly to this romantic restaurant were Jack would be waiting to apologize and beg for another chance.

"Jack." Tosh said, spinning him around. "Hurting yourself isn't going to do anyone any good. We need to focus, and find Ianto, so that you can get his heart back." Jack nodded, mutely.

"Now." The woman flew to her desk typing furiously to uncover the CCTV footage. "This is Ianto when he called to check on us." She pulled the footage up on the screen, showing Ianto leaning against the counter top; jacket pushed back and hand to his head as he spoke into the COMM. The call terminated, and Ianto turned back to the coffee machine, readying a brew. Then they saw it, a flash of crimson, an arm around Ianto's waist as another pressed a cloth the Welshman's shocked face. Then Captain Hart scooped the Archivist up into his arms bridal style, taking care to loosen his tie lightly, before nodding at the camera and disappearing in a flash of white.

Ianto Jones was confused. Here he was, prisoner of this man who had tried to kill him and all that he loved at one point, and he couldn't bring himself to hate him. He didn't love him, he wasn't Jack, but the offer to start over was a tempting one.

"Can you at least untie me? I really don't want to be afraid to go to sleep knowing that I can't fend off any…Unwanted advances." John looked injured, quickly slashing at the cloth binding Ianto's left wrist.

"I would never do that Eye Candy. I want to woo you, not rape you." Ianto smiled softly, at least that was something that he could believe, wooing was a challenge, and if John was anything like Jack, it would be one he couldn't pass up.

"So earlier you said that you wanted to give me everything that Jack couldn't, be what he wasn't." John perked at this. Hoping that Ianto was warming to the thought.

"So I want to set some guide lines. First, I am not a whore. I don't just sleep with every attractive guy that flashes me his come hither gaze. So rule one. No sex." John looked slightly crest fallen. "Don't pout Hart. You said that you wanted to be what Jack wasn't, well what Jack was sex. All sex. He never cared, he didn't try. So if you really want a shot? Woo me, don't seduce me. Second. You are a Jack ass. I'm still not happy about our first meeting, and frankly I don't know if I can forgive you, so if you really want to make it up to me? Treat me like a person, not like a pretty toy to play with Jack. And third, your dress sense is absolute rubbish." Ianto smiled, and even John had to chuckle. "Seriously. Do you ever wash your clothes or do you just expect your '51st century pheromones' to make up for that." Jack looked down at himself, grimacing slightly.

"Ok Eye Candy, I think your rules are fair, and you have a point, I do need some new threads." A few buttons were pressed and John was gone, Ianto allowed himself to fall back onto the bed.

"Jack, if you actually do care anything about me, you had better hurry, because there is another Captain wanting your spot. And I'm half tempted to let him have it."


	7. Chapter 7: New Clothes and Old Flames

"Maybe we should call Gwen." Tosh asked, receiving an evil glare from Jack.

"No, first, it's her honeymoon; she'll be a royal pain if we interrupt her. Second, you know exactly how she will act if she finds out that Ianto and I are." He took a deep breath. "That we are no currently coupled. I don't want to put up with that while I'm trying to convince Ianto of my intentions."

Tosh nodded. "Gotcha, so what's next? Know of any old roosts in a 3 day travel radius that John might hit?" A rift alarm silenced them all. Tosh checked the rating.

"It's John, and he's, blimey; He's in the middle of a shopping center!" Owen jumped.

"What the hell is Hart doing in a shopping center?" Jack shrugged, sprinting off to the SUV.

"Guess we should follow him." Tosh said, running full tilt behind the angry captain.

John Hart was shopping. It was a new experience; he never really did the shopping. What he couldn't snatch from a lover's home, he usually snatched from time. Somehow though, he felt like Ianto wouldn't appreciate that. God, what was this man doing to him! He shook his head ducking into a clothing store and charming the clerk.

"So, ma'am, I'm really not from around here, and I seem to have had a bit of an issue with me wardrobe. " He gestured to his slightly tattered t-shirt and near shredded jeans. "Do you think you could help?" The girl nodded, giggling slightly as she guided him to the changing room. Twenty minutes and a very flushed cashier later, John left with his favorite outfit tucked into a backpack, a sharp black trouser and crisp white shirt in place. He shrugged into the matching black blazer admiring himself in the mirrored surface of the store window. If Ianto doesn't fall for this, then he might as well give up. John ducked into a few more shops, picking up some night clothes for Ianto- he had to respect the man's rules for now, if he ever wanted to bed him- as well as some food for the Welshman.

Jack had gunned the SUV full tilt to the shopping center, breaking every traffic law imaginable. Own and Tosh hadn't even urged him to stop. Ianto was at stake, and Jack would stop at nothing to get him back. They screeched to a stop Jack out of the car before Tosh had unbuckled. She and Owen stumbled from the SUV running after their captain. He caught sight of a black clad man carrying a take-out bag, a backpack with a slip of crimson spilling from the latch.

"Hart!" Jack bellowed, and the suited man turned around a snarky grin on his face.

"Jack, glad to see that you showed up! What do you think of my new duds?" He gestured at himself, the soft cotton shirt clinging seductively to every plain of his chest.

"What happened to your usual outfit?" Jack snarled trying to see the best way to grab for the man.

"It was pointed out to me that I dress poorly, and I want to dress to impress."

"Oh? Pray tell, who are you going to impress?" John lifted the bag on his wrist shaking it lightly.

"I have a date tonight, and he has a very sharp fashion taste." Jack lunged at the man, but he was already gone. A flash of white leaving a fuming Harkness behind.

John hopped from point to point, confusing anyone looking at his jump history. Finally he was back at the building were the man he wishes to impress resides. He opened the door, planning on a big entrance, only to find Ianto asleep, still half tied to the bed. John smiled. It was easy to see why Jack loved this man, and why he found his own heart being drawn in by the Welshman. John set up the table on the other side of the room, making a pot of coffee and setting out the food. One last check of the mirror and he was by Ianto's side.

"So, do you always look so adorable when you sleep, or is this a special occasion." Ianto lurched up, unbound hand lashing out and striking John's face.

"Shit Eye Candy, good morning to you too!" John rubbed his bruising cheek and Ianto stifled a laugh.

"Serves you right for sneaking up on me."

"I didn't! I swear! You were just sleeping so cute-ly and I figured that you would want food. " Ianto nodded, stretching as best he could in his binds.

"Want me to get the rest of these?" John asked, and Ianto nodded. "And don't even think of running. If you do manage to get out of this room, which is locked, and out of this labyrinth of a building, then you'll still have miles to go before you can get a phone to call anyone."

Ianto snorted flexing his now unbound muscles. "Went to a lot of trouble to get me all to yourself."

John smiled, gesturing over to the table. "Yup, and who knows, maybe I'll get to keep you." Ianto rolled his eyes getting up and heading to the table.

"I seriously doubt that, though I do appreciate the meal." Ianto sat down, and ran an approving gaze over the other man's outfit. "See you took my advice and cleaned up a bit." John grinned and posed.

"Yup. What do you think?" Ianto shrugged toying with the food on his plate.

"It looks good. A bit casual, but at least you have some taste. I was beginning to think that the by the 51'st century everyone dressed like a loon." John laughed again, pouring the mugs of coffee and handing one to Ianto.

"I thought you liked the way Jack dressed." Ianto shrugged again.

"I like his coat. Loved his coat really, it was the first think about him I noticed." Ianto sipped the coffee, grimacing at the thin bitter drink. "Seriously, can no one make good coffee in the future?" John's face fell,

"That bad?" He took a sip himself spewing the vial liquid back into the mug. "I see your point." Ianto stood, heading over to the coffee maker on the counter, inspecting it momentarily before deftly brewing two cups of coffee, taking care to add the perfect amount of sugar and cream to each, ignoring John's please for black coffee.

"Really, it's fine! No need to play with the coffee." But the mug was already in his hands.

"Don't ask, just drink." Ianto took a sip of his own mug savoring the smooth brew before sitting down in front of the food.

John took a tentative sip of his coffee, eyes growing wide in shock of the magnificent brew. "Gees Eye Candy, if your coffee is any indication of how good you are in bed, than I'm shocked Jack hasn't married you yet." Ianto rolled his eyes, pointing at the food.

"So what's this then?"

"Chinese? I hope its ok." Another eye roll.

"I can see the food, and yes its fine, but this-"He gestured broadly at the table.

"Oh, a date." John said, another cocky grin firmly affixed to his features.

"So, let me see, you dressed up, attempted to make coffee, and brought dinner, all in the hopes of winning my heart." John blushed slightly.

"Is it working?" Ianto laughed.

"Well it isn't hurting, but I need to know something." John's pulse raced slightly, "You said that you were giving Jack a few days to feel the heat, how many exactly." John paused in his eating.

"Three, today being the first. " Ianto nodded chewing his food thoughtfully. Three days' vacation from Torchwood, with a guy who seems to actually care for him. He isn't Jack, but Jack obviously didn't care for him, so why the hell not.

"Alright then. Did you bring any wine?" John beamed, pulling a bottle from under the table and putting on the counter.

"Always prepared." John said, a hint of lust tingeing his voice. Ianto jumped slightly.

"No sex John." John pouted slightly, but nodded, turning to his backpack and pulling out the red silk pajamas that he had purchased earlier.

"I thought as much, so I got you these, I won't be in here, but I figured you wouldn't want to sleep in your suit." John shrugged and Ianto smiled.

"Th-Thanks." Ianto set the pajamas on the bed, peeling off his tie and jacket.

"So, Eye Candy, tell me about yourself."


	8. Chapter 8: Takeout and Traps

Jack was running around Cardiff like a mad man. There were dozens of Rift spikes to check, and tons of things distracting from the rift spikes. THe Immortal knew that it was John who was behind all this, leading him on a wild goose chase while he had Ianto.

Ianto. The captain's hands squeezed the steering wheel. He had said that he had a date that night. Jack remembered John's version of a date involving food booze, and then mind blowing sex. While he knew the Welshman wouldn't do anything like that, he had to wonder. Whatever they had between them, Ianto had ended it. And John could be very persuasive. He knew that if John could get Ianto into the bed with him, then he had no chance of ever making things right. Not that John was that good, no, he was great, but Ianto was better. If John was anything like Jack, then one taste of Ianto would be enough to get him hooked.

"Jack, Ianto wouldn't sleep with him" Tosh said through the COMM. Had he spoken aloud?

"What Tosh."

"Ianto. Even if Captain Hart managed to get Ianto to not kill him, Ianto loves you. He wouldn't sleep with him; he isn't that kind of guy." Jack's grip relaxed on the wheel slightly, before another wave of guilt washed over him.

"But he never knew." Jack whispered, anger and self-hatred filling his mind. "He never knew, Tosh. What if John promises him everything that I never gave him? Affection, attention, the dinners, the roses, Tosh, Ianto never knew that I love him. The one time I said it he thought I was lying. I need to find him, to tell him. I need to convince him, before he finds a way to move on." Tosh shook her head, understanding Jack, and feeling for him, somehow, she needed to communicate with Ianto.

"We will fix this Jack, we have too."

Owen hated Weevils. Running to another one of John's dead end rift spikes had lead him into a building housing hundreds of sleeping weevils. If anyone else had walked into that room, they would have been killed. If it would have been Jack, then killed multiple times. Now though, it was just Owen, and the weevils feared him.

"Tosh, we've got a problem."

"What is it Owen?" Tosh sounded worried, daft girl, she cares.

"Weevils. Hundreds of them. Whole building is full of 'em." The dead man shuddered leaving the building and barring the door behind him.

"Are you all right?"

"Yea Tosh, you know me. King of the Weevils." Tosh laughed softly.

"Well boys, that leaves 4 more spikes." Owen nodded, having started out with 24, this was a great improvement.

"One is in the center of, ugg, about half a dozen abandoned buildings, one in yet another shopping center, one in the park, really, who is he fooling, and then one is in the bridal sweet of a hotel." At the last one Owen groaned; leave it to Hart to jump in on someone's honey moon.

"Ok Captain, it's your ex, where do you think he is holding your other ex."

Ianto wasn't drunk. Buzzed, perhaps, lips loosened, stress ebbing, but not drunk. He leaned back in his chair sipping lightly on his third, and final, glass of wine.

"So Eye Candy, tell me, how did you and Jacky boy meet?" Ianto smiled, the memory a fond one, despite the pain that followed it.

"I was hiking, if you can believe it, just out for a late night walk, when I see this idiot fighting a weevil in the middle of the woods. I didn't recognize him, naturally, but when I saw the thing go for his throat, I reacted." Ianto's eyes lit up, and John leaned forward, absorbing the beauty that this man exuded.

"I bashed it over the head with a tree branch, knocked the thing out cold." Ianto shook his head. "I asked him about his cut, which by then had healed. Bloody idiot had said that he had gotten worse cuts from shaving," John laughed. "I asked him what it was, and he denied it, so I said 'Looked like a weevil to me.' He got real cold then, pulling the damn thing over his shoulder and walking off. I got a good look at him, and I recognized him, from Torchwood London. Captain Jack Harkness, he was every bit as handsome as they had bragged. And the fact that I recognized that scared the shit out of me."

John was concerned now, not liking the shadows creeping into Ianto's eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I'm strait John. Well, I was. Before Jack I hadn't so much as glanced at another man, and then I meet this mysterious stranger in the woods, and I was instantly drawn to him. I couldn't have him walk away, so I complimented that damn coat of his. I was so guilty afterwards. I went back to my flat, checked on my half converted girlfriend in my guest room, and convinced myself that I had to get into Torchwood 3. At the time I thought it was for Lisa, to help her, to save her." He out his head in his hands. "Now I know that it was more for Jack. To know him, to figure out why I found him attractive, who he really was."

John leaned over the table, patting Ianto's back soothingly. Jack really had done a number on this man, and John wanted to fix it. That scared him. He never helped. Stole, shagged, and killed sure, but never helped. Ianto was changing him.

Owen and Jack had teamed up, searching a building a piece for the missing Welshman. Each building, they found, held another hint/trap for each of them. Currently, Jack was in the middle of a room without a floor, leading into a bloody pit of razors. The other side had a computer.

"Your ex really is a psychopath, Captain." Owen said into his com, while walking through the smoke filled room.

"Yea, he always had a flair for the dramatic. It made for entertaining sex." Jack grunted, nearly losing his grip on the ledge that he was on.

"Don't want to know Harkness." Jack chuckled to himself; oh what he would show Ianto. No, no sex, not until he took Ianto out. Wooed him like a proper boyfriend. If he got another chance, he wouldn't waste it.


	9. Chapter 9: Smoke, Silk, and Song

Owen reached his target first. A black box sealed on all sides, nearly concealed in the smoke. He picked it up shaking it slightly fore running back the way he came. "One building down Tosh, some sort of cube. You can check it out when we get back."

"Alright Owen, be careful I can't fix you."

"Yea, I know." Owen flexed his injured hand. "I really do."

Jack made it to the other side of the chasm, cursing himself for not seeing the door behind the computer. He hated wasting time, especially when every moment took him further and further from Ianto. He reached the computer, and the black clad figure of John Hart appeared on the screen.

"Hey Jacky boy, enjoy your climb? Listen, the last thing I need is for Ianto to be pissed at me for antagonizing you, so I figured I should apologize. I know what you remember of our, dates, but believe me when I say with Ianto it's different. Damn it Jack, if he would let me, I would have carted him off and had my wicked way with him in my own time loop."The image smiled, probably imagining such a scenario, Jack growled.

"But he won't Jack. This man has rules, and my big mouth brought them upon me. I promised him everything that you never gave him, surprise surprise, the only thing you did give him was sex. So guess what I don't get." The image of John pouted and Jack would have cheered, if it wasn't for the guilt curling in his gut. That really was all that Ianto got from him wasn't it.

"There you go Jack, my apology. I won't sleep with Ianto until he lets me." But John smiled cruelly leaning into the camera.

"But you better hurry; lord only knows how long he can resist." The image cut out, and Jack launched a fist through the glass angrily.

"Jack, grab that hard-drive, let me see what I can get out of it." Jack grunted pulling the computer box from the counter and storming through the door. John would not get his Ianto.

Ianto was in the shower. The door was locked, though he knew that it really wouldn't stop the fake Captain, it gave him some piece of mind. The thing was, Ianto was singing. From outside the bathroom John could hear it, the deep tones flowing from the walls, echoing around the vast room.

They captured him, carrying him to the door, where he leaned his ear against it, knowing that Ianto did not want any company, content to simply listen. His voice was amazing, dark and angsty, yet liquid. It flowed effortlessly, the pitch never wavering, as it carried over the sound of rushing water. When the water stopped, so did the song.

John quickly busied himself across the room, hoping to avoid an awkward situation.

Ianto dressed quickly, not wanting to risk John trying something, though he really doubted that the Captain would. He readied for bed, brushing his teeth and folding his clothes, he would probably be wearing them again tomorrow. He winced as his foot hit the cool tile cursing himself again for not wearing boots that night. He left the en-suite bathroom rubbing his hair with a damp towel, only to have John staring at him hungrily, taking a picture with, is that a cell phone?

"Hart. Really. Is photography of a man in his pajamas really necessary?" Ianto leaned against the door frame.

"It is when he looks like you." John raked his eyes hungrily over the Welshman, taking in the way the Pajamas sat low on his hips, a tantalizing gap of skin exposed from the edge of the red shirt. The way that the silk conformed to his every sinew and curve nearly had the Time Agent drooling.

"That bad huh?" John blushed slightly, trying to rein himself in. Self-control was one thing that he had very little of, and the one thing that the other man asked of him.

"Umm, no, you look, hot, umm so, sense when did you sing?" Ianto shrugged sitting on the edge of his bed before wrapping some more gauss on his injured foot.

"Forever ago. I was in a band for a long while. Through High school and Uni. We still get together every now and again; have a few CD's out and everything, no big deal." John gaped at him.

"What does Jack think of it?" Ianto shrugged.

"As far as I know, he has no knowledge of them." John frowned.

"Why not? Is it a secret?" Ianto shook his head.

"He never asked." That angered John. The immortal had this perfect wonderful man, and he never bothered to learn anything about him.

"Well it's getting late. I better let you sleep."

"John?" Ianto asked as the lights went out.

"Yea Eye Candy?"

"Blue Gillespie."


	10. Chapter 10: Blue Gillespie

Tosh was asleep when it happened, sprawled out on the HUB's couch trying to catch a few moments of sleep.

Owen was cleaning when it happened, having returned hours ago from finding no other John Hart clues or traps.

Jack was pacing when it happened, worried about how exactly he was going to convince Ianto to choose him over John. Suddenly a bright flash of light echoed through the HUB, the resulting spike of energy nearly sending the HUB into lockdown.

Jack was the first to react, stopping the lockdown while storming down from his office in a flurry of coat and fury. How dare that man come into his HUB after everything he had done? Jack was greeted by the sight of Owen training a gun on a very angry looking John, and Tosh standing by the couch arms crossed over her chest menacingly, though her eyes betrayed her sleepiness.

"What the hell do you think you're doing her John? What the hell! Come to snatch someone else that I care about?" Jack was seeing red. This man was keeping Ianto from him.

"No Harkness, I came here to ask you a question." John spat.

Tosh had no idea why the other man was angry, but it was nearly as violent as Jack's. The two men were facing each other now, mere inches from one another's face. Owen and Tosh shared a look of confusion, but neither moved, not wanting to lose anything that they gained through Jack's approach.

"What John. Is it, did I enjoy your little ledge climbing exercise? Then the answer is no." John laughed menacingly.

"Did you ever love him?" There. Right in the heart. If Jack could have doubled over in pain then he would have.

"What do you mean, Hart?" Owen was behind John now, grabbing quickly and latching on a pair of Jack's "Time Agent Proof" cuffs.

"Blue Gillespie."

Owen tugged the man away down into the interrogation room were Jack would deal with him later. As soon as John was out of sight the Captain sagged down onto the couch. The wounds that John's words attacked were still all too fresh.

"Tosh, find out what Blue Gillespie is."

"On it" The technician dashed to her computer doing a preliminary Google search of the name. "The most predominant result is for a band." Tosh sounded puzzled, not understanding why a random band would cause so much anger.

"What is the information on them?"

A few more clicks of the keys. "It appears to be a Progressive Metal band, out of Cardiff. A few albums not really anything spectacular."

"What about the band members?"

"Gareth Lloyd on Vocals, Anthony Clark on guitar, Rhys Bryant on bass, and Nick Harrison on drums."

"Do any of them have any connection to Ianto, past relationships, old school mates, anything like that?" Tosh entered the names into the computer quickly find matches for all of them. All but one.

"This Gareth Lloyd person doesn't seem to exist." Jack stood.

"Can you dig up a video or pictures of them performing, and something we can use to identify him."

"Here is a link to their YouTube."

She clicked it and a dark stage filed the screen. A man stood on the stage, announcing the next band as Blue Gillespie. The three band members joined the stage, the guitarist taking the mike.

"Alright Cardiff! We have a special treat for you tonight, Blue Gillespie's founding singer, and fellow Cardiff child, has worked it out so he could join us tonight. Everyone give a warm welcome to Gareth Lloyd."

There were applause and slender man in tight black jeans and a grey studded T walked on stage, the shadows and his hair working to conceal his features.

"Whoever he is, he is amazingly attractive in those Jeans." Suddenly the sounds of a rock band filled the air, as the band began their song. You could see the singer tapping his foot to the rhythm before his cue. Suddenly the head shot up, the lights off the stage hitting him in full. His eyes ripped open and Jack's jaw fell.

"Ianto!" Tosh fell back into her chair, nearly toppling over.

"No no no no no Tea-Boy! In a rock band." Owen put his hands over his eyes dramatically. "And he's bloody good!"

Tosh had to give him that. The deceptively mild mannered man really could sing. His voice was deep, and perfectly suited to the music. "I never." She choked caught up in the sight. Ianto was good, amazing really, from his stage presence to his voice.

"I've never seen Ianto like this. I never even thought he could sing, let alone in front of all those people. I mean he's usually so bashful." Jack nodded, the only time that he had ever seen the Welshman in that sort of a state, confident, and self-assured, was in the bedroom. The Captain never would have that that he shared this sight with anyone. Yet even fully clothed Ianto held him captive, every movement and every note drawing him closer and closer, until his fingers touched the screen. A subtle cough from behind held a sly looking Owen.

"Umm, Jack, we are still here mate." Jack blushed, definitely a feat for the immortal.

"Sorry, it's just. Wow." Tosh nodded, sympathetic. Even she had felt herself flush with both excitement over the gorgeous and talented man on the screen, and shame for never realizing that side of her friend existed.


	11. Chapter 11: Bitter Boredom

John Hart was bored. He was cuffed to a chair, in the dim and bloody cold, interrogation room that served Torchwood. He had to admit, the room was intimidating, and everything about it was built to insight fear. John Hart was angry. His asshole of an ex-lover had captured the heart of a man that neither of them deserved. Now they were both vying for the other man's heart, yet the longer this went on, the more he fell for the Welshman, and the more he found out about how poorly Jack had treated him.

"The sex must be amazing Jack. I can't think of any other reason for Ianto to stay with you." John railed at the air, knowing that his every word was being monitored in one way or another.

"I mean your selfish, arrogant, thoughtless, not just your personality either, if memory serves me you were just as bad in bed." John rolled his neck, popping is shoulders against the cuffs.

"But you know what? Since you've been with Ianto you aren't nearly as bad. You're still a bastard though. Ianto is head over heels in love with you, He won't even look at anyone else. Hell he even dumped you, and he's still loyal to you." John laughed bitterly leaning his head against the back of the metal chair.

"He won't even speak ill of you Jack. He dumps your sorry arse, I treat him like royalty, and he doesn't even bat an eyelash." All the anger was gone now, as he sagged in his seat.

"He is impossible not to like isn't he. Like bloody catnip. Lures you in with his beauty, keeps you with his personality, seals your fate with his wit, and charm, and kindness, and loyalty. Even if that loyalty is placed in something that will ultimately destroy him."

Jack could hear Owen speaking quietly with Tosh, while he continued to stare at the image of Ianto belting out on stage. Tosh's gentle tap on his shoulder brought him around.

"Jack, Hart has been ranting at you for the past hour, I haven't checked the footage yet. You want to-" "No, We are all tired, go home Tosh, get some sleep, Ianto will be alright and Hart isn't going anywhere. Get some rest."

The technician nodded scurrying out of the HUB she new Owen could handle things with out her.

Owen put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Right. Jacky boy? Take a nap. I'll take care of Captain crazy for now, oh and, please shut your door if you plan on watching anymore videos of Tea-boy's singing?"

Jack managed yet another blush, and Owen shook his head, he had to admit, Ianto defiantly pulled off that whole confidant dark rock look. The doctor shook himself, not appropriate. We need to leave the drooling over Ianto to the Captain.


	12. Chapter 12: Friendly Reminder

Ianto couldn't sleep. It wasn't unusual for him; he had spent many sleepless nights throughout his life, especial since Canary Warf. Usually, though, he had Jack. Jack to calm him, to dry his tears and curl around him to stop the shaking. Those moments with him and his Captain curled up in bed, cuddling, almost like a couple. Ianto thrived on those. Now he didn't have anything. He was alone, in this beautiful suit, the king sized bed empty of the warm body that he desired most. Ianto sighed.

"Maybe if I could just talk to him." Ianto groaned. He needed coffee. Rising out of the bed, he was unsettled by the time. It was already 4:45, how long had he been lying awake? He went to the kitchenette, but something stopped him.

On the table, laid, is that, a phone? Ianto dashed for the lights, cheering quietly at the sight. As much as he was growing to enjoy John's company, he needed his Captain right now; no matter how bad it hurt him. He picked up the phone, noting the slim and sleek touch surface, definitely future technology. Ianto briefly thought of how John could have left it behind so carelessly, but he really didn't care. The punching in of numbers and a few rings later lead to Owen's voice.

"Cardiff Tourism Office, You have Harper." Ianto rolled his eyes.

"That is not how one is supposed to answer the phone Owen." Owen leapt from his chair.

"Tea-boy, were the hell are you! Jack's been running himself bloody rampant. He keeps breaking down crying with guilt and, god, he's a right mess without you mate." Ianto froze. Jack didn't care about him, he didn't love him, it wasn't possible. But for Owen to be saying that…

"Owen, are you being serious. Jack isn't threatening to lop of body parts if you don't convince me to come back is he." Owen shook his head; of course Ianto wouldn't believe him.

"Jack is in his office, watching music videos of what has quickly become his favorite band." Ianto sat down, legs crossed on the table.

"Oh? Must not be too worried then, to give himself some free time." Owen cursed himself.

"Well with John locked in interrogation, and him assuring us that you're living in the lap of luxury, he let Tosh go home, and I'm making him relax."

"Must be one hell of a band to make Jack relax." Owen chuckled softly.

"It's this progressive metal band out of Cardiff, Blue Gillespie?" Ianto choked on his water.

"Shit how did he-"

"Well, Gareth, John showed up dropping that bomb. Jack nearly came on himself watching your Glastonbury performance." Ianto blushed.

"Well, Jack does like tight clothes."

"Look Tea-boy, seriously, I know what I said the other night, but, well I actually think you should give the old idiot another chance." Ianto moaned leaning his head against his hand.

"Why Owen. Just, Why."

"I can send you one good reason why." Owen rushed to the computer emailing Tosh's menagerie of evidence for Jack to the Welshman. "Ponder that Tea-Boy, and then call me in the morning."

"Owen? Can you do me one more favor?"

"What?" Ianto sat up.

"Don't tell Jack that you spoke to me yea? Let him rest, and take John a drink. I know that he's an ass, but he doesn't deserve the UNIT treatment." Owen rolled his eyes.

"Where exactly are you?"

"I don't know really, but it's this beautiful Victorian style suit, big four-poster bed, kitchenette on suit bath, almost like a honeymoon suite." Owen wanted to kick himself, of course! "To bad I keep kicking John out of here; I assume he had other plans than letting me here alone." Owen groaned.

"Yea Ianto, what is it with you and 51st century criminal time travelers wanting to fuck you senseless." Ianto laughed.

"Beats me. If I knew, I'd use it to my advantage."

"Too much information tea-boy." The Welshman laughed.

"How long do you want me to wait to pick you up, or at the very least tell Jack?" Ianto sighed.

"Surprise me. I don't want Jack to think I'm avoiding him to terribly much."

"Alright Tea-boy. Be careful. I'll find you tomorrow."

The call ended, and Ianto made a brew of coffee, not wanting to here Jack's act, but knowing that it was inevitable. Flopping onto the massive feather bed, coffee in hand, he activated the first message."


	13. Chapter 13: Messages

"What the hell were you thinking?" Tosh. Of course. Only she would have the balls to speak so harshly to Jack if it involved emotions.

"About what?" Jack. But his voice sounded broken, raw, unnerving.

"Gwen. I mean really Jack, what the hell? He loves you and he took a chance at publically showing you that. And you humiliated him in front of everyone there!" Ianto shuddered. The anger in Tosh's voice was enough to make him fearful, lord knows how Jack managed.

"I didn't mean to. I mean, I watched the footage Tosh! I saw how it looked. That's why I was at his flat. To apologize. To try and explain myself." That took Ianto by surprise. He had thought that Jack had been seeking solace.

_Oh god what have I done._ Ianto resumed the recording. He had to know.

"But he was drunk Tosh. The last time I has ever seen him get that drunk was Lisa." The sound of flesh and fabric scraping concrete. "I broke him. I shattered his heart, and then I waltzed in there and thought that I could fix it with words."

Ianto felt a tight squeeze on his heart. He could hear Jack's tears.

"Why?" Tosh pushed, kinder than before. God he must really have been upset.

"It wasn't because of Gwen that's for sure. I mean, I love her, but she's like the sister that I never had, all fire and spirit, but she isn't Ianto." Ianto smiled, did Jack really believe that?

"When I danced with her I felt like I was dancing with my first wife. I felt like I was saying goodbye to those memories, until that wedding dredged them up again. By the time Ianto cut in I was on the verge of breaking down. Not because I had lost Gwen, but because I remembered those who had come before Ianto. The weddings of my past." Ianto let a tear fall. _Damn, how had he not seen that! Of course this would bring all that to the surface!_

"I have been a complete and utter arse Tosh. I broke the man of my dreams heart and didn't even notice." The Welshman was floored. Did the man of HIS dreams just say that? That was way more than he ever could have thought.

"Is that why you're up here? To pay penance?" Ianto's throat closed. Up here? Was Jack on a roof? Was he contemplating Jumping?

"No, no sort of punishment can match the one that I brought upon myself. I lost Ianto, isn't that enough?"

Ianto whispered, tears falling in earnest now. "You never lost me Jack."

"And he is right; the dance was the tip of the iceberg. I've been taking advantage of him, I don't appreciate him nearly enough. Now I may never get the chance." Ianto wiped his eyes. He had to make things right. The Welshman stopped the tape. He had heard everything that he needed to know. Ignoring the other message on the phone. He dialed Jack's private office line, but was met with the answering machine.

"You've reached Captain Jack Harkness; I can't reach the phone right now. I would say that I'd call you back later, but it will probably be the gorgeous Archivist downstairs. Leave a message anyway." Ianto rolled his eyes. Of course Jack would have something like that as his call back tone.

"Look, umm Jack, sir. I we need to talk and I, I need to apologize. I didn't hear your side. But I figured, in case John has dissuaded you or something. I just. I love you Jack." An uncomfortable silence "Also, we need to chat about your call back tone on this line."

Ianto hung up running his hand over his face. Way to sound like a bumbling idiot. He downed the rest of his coffee. This would work out. Jack really did care about him.


	14. Chapter 14: Captain Reaction

Tosh walked in to a silent HUB. Well, silent for the HUB. The computers were still whirring; there was the constant sound of the water tower, but no people. She checked the CCTV, to see Owen gone, John face down on the table, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a mug nest to his head. Jack was nowhere to be seen, but the door to his bunker was open, and she could faintly hear the sounds of snoring.

Heading up to Jack's office, she saw a light flashing on his desk. His private line must be Gwen or something. She was tempted to delete it, but shrugged. Jack could deal with it later.

"Jack, its 7:00, you might want to wake up." She called down, noticing that the man was in sweats, sweats that she recognized as Ianto's.

"Get dressed while you're at it, I doubt Ianto would be too pleased with you running around in his trousers."

Jack groaned, opening his eyes and glancing down, only realize that he was.

"And you have a phone message."

"It can wait. I need pants." He grunted, and Tosh giggled. Jack stumbled through the motions of getting ready, showering quickly and combing his hair, before ascending the ladder into his office. Seeing his Ianto singing and dancing across a stage, all fire and passion had followed him into his dreams. He slept soundly. Sitting in his desk chair, he felt the bitter tug to crawl back into his bed and forget the day, but one glance at his phone put that thought to rest.

It was a call, on his private line. From John Hart's cellphone. Jack sprang into action, hitting the button. Hart was locked up down stairs wasn't he? A quick check of the CCTV confirmed that, though why he was under a blanket, and –is that tea- Owen has some explaining to do.

"You've reached Captain Jack Harkness, I can't reach the phone right now. I would say that I'd call you back later, but it will probably be the gorgeous Archivist downstairs. Leave a message anyway." Jack smiled, wonder what Ianto would think of that. Ianto's voice filled the room, Jack noticed Tosh slip out quickly.

"Look, umm Jack, sir."

Of course, he would call me sir. This was a business call. Jack's face fell slightly.

"I, we, we need to talk."

Oh god. Ianto was quitting Torchwood. He was quitting Torchwood and leaving with John. Jack wanted to puke, but the message continued.

"And I, I need to apologize."

Wait, What?

"I didn't hear your side."

That's new.

"But I figured, in case John has dissuaded you or something. I just. I love you Jack."

Jack let out victory whoop! But the recording continued.

"Also, we need to chat about your call back tone on this line." Tosh came running into the room, followed with Owen on his heels. Jack was laughing at Ianto's last words, the line before playing through his mind.

"I Just, I love you."

Jack saved the message, knowing that it would be replayed for a long time to come.

"What is wrong mate? We heard something shout." Jack grinned at them, his lopsided boyish cat-got-the-cream grin.

"Ianto called." Owen nodded, and Tosh smiled to herself.

"Me too, last night. I'm assuming that you caught the CCTV of Captain Kidnapper."

"Yea, what was that about anyway?" Owen held up his hands in mock defense.

"Ianto called and asked that I not let you treat 'im like a weevil. Said that while he's sitting in the lap of luxury because of Hart, I might as well be hospitable. No need to make him hate us more than he already does." Jack nodded, and Tosh spun Owen around.

"Lap of luxury, you can't be serious." Jack was lost.

"What?"

Tosh looked at him, eyes wide and smile in place. "The Honeymoon sweet! We ruled it out, because it seemed impossible, but that's where he is!" Jack was up, coat on and halfway out of the HUB.


	15. Chapter 15: Reunited

Tosh was smiling softly. Whatever Ianto had told Jack in that message seems to have fixed something that had been broken in Jack. As they were barreling down the street at reckless speeds Tosh gripped tightly to Owen in the back seat. Neither of them had sat upfront, knowing that Ianto would be flung into it in a few moments anyway.

They pulled up in front of the stately old manor, now a luxury hotel. Jack wanted to storm up to the desk, but stopped short, seeing the stately old woman at the desk. He needed Ianto; this was his sort of scene. Approaching the desk, he decided that manners would work the best.

"Ma'am?" The elderly woman looked up from her novel, her snow white bun bobbing with the motion. She pushed her glasses further up her nose, and gave the Captain a small smile.

"Hello there, I'm Gertrude Mayweather, Owner of this establishment. How may I help you?" Jack smiled softly pulling out his badge.

"Captain Jack Harkness, this is my team. I really do hate to be a bother ma'am, but I need access to your Honeymoon suite." The woman nodded pulling out the keys.

"I understand young man. I didn't like the looks of the man who rented it. A bit of the snake in the grass. And I haven't seen him since he paid for the two week rental."

She stood, gesturing for them to follow. Miss Mayweather walked up the stone steps in front of the team, her gate and stance showing a youth that her features hid. They reached the door, the smell of coffee permeating the walls.

"He's in there." Jack said, and the elderly woman noticed the grin that graced the peculiar man's features. She unlocked the door deftly, peaking in to see a handsome young man sprawled out across the bed, chest rising and falling slowly with sleep, an empty mug of coffee on his chest. The elderly woman turned, holding a finger to her lips. And pushing the members out the door.

"The young gentleman in the room is asleep. He isn't the one that rented the room from me." She saw the pleading looked in the Captain's eyes and quickly saw the connection. She pointed at him. "Why don't you go wake him up, and I'll get these two a mug of tea." She gestured at Tosh and Owen, who smiled warmly at the matronly woman.

"Are you sure?" Jack said, perplexed.

"Yes, yes. I'll let you handle things and I'll bring them back up in 30." She slipped away, Owen and Tosh in tow.

Jack shook his head. Leaning in the door. The sight took his breath away.

The Welshman's hair was askew, his red silk (!) pajamas bunched tight around him, one arm behind his head, the other still latched to the coffee mug on his chest. Jack pulled out his cellphone, quickly snapping a picture of the sight. He wanted to wake the man up, but had a better idea.

Kicking off his shoes and coat as quickly and quietly as possible, he crawled in beside Ianto running his fingers tentatively across the other man's cheek. Ianto stirred, turning his face to the touch. Jack cupped that face, bringing his lips to the other man's forehead.

"Mm, Jack?" Ianto murmured, still asleep. Jack smiled.

"Yan. It's time to get up."

Ianto bolted upright, peering down at Jack with a mixture of fear and rapture crossing his features.

"Jack?" The immortal grinned.

"Who else? Were you expecting John to give you a wakeup like that?" Ianto colored, and Jack pouted playfully.

"SO Ianto, you said that you wanted to talk, well, can I start by saying that I really love those PJ's?" Ianto rolled his eyes setting back into the pillows on the bed. The silver and crimson bed spread backing him perfectly.

"Jack. I wanted to apologize. I let my emotions get in my way and-"Jack's lips stopped Ianto from continuing. "You did nothing wrong. It was all me Ianto. I should never have let you think that you're just shag. You are anything but."


	16. Chapter 16: The Tale

Jack held Ianto's face in his hands, taking a steady breath before speaking. "I have a story." IAnto leaned into Jack's touch, encouraging him to continue.

"I have loved and lost, and swore never to love again. I have lived longer than any man should, and I will continue to live long after all men have gone. Yet no matter how hard I tried not to love again. It was futile. I met this gorgeous Welshman in the woods, who saved me from an evil monster. He brought me coffee, and I scorned him, afraid of the emotions that I felt rising in my heart. We met again, as fate would have it. He took my lashing tongue with strength and patience, helping me best yet another adversary. I fell, both physically and emotionally, into the arms of that man, that very moment. I couldn't let him slip away."

Ianto's eyes were shining with tears. A small smile on his lips.

"I invited him to work for me, hoping to sway his passions. The road was rough, and while I gave him my body, I held my heart close to me afraid to put it in his all too caring hands. He was everything I could ever need, and ever want, yet I still managed to make sure that he left me."

Jack took a breath, rubbing a tear from Ianto's eye.

"When he left, in a flurry of anguish and pain, my heart went with him. I realized that I had never owned my heart to begin with, it was all an illusion. I had handed him my heart that night in the forest."

Ianto leaned his head against Jack's, and still more words came forth.

"Another man, much like me, came into the Welshman's life. He stole him away, handed him everything he could ever want or need on a silver platter."

The tears on their faces mingled.

"Faced with such temptation, after breaking the tie with me, the Welshman could have gone with the stranger. He could have taken the life of luxury, and no one would have begrudged him that. Not even I, the man who loved him so."

The Welshman kissed his Captain lightly, picking up the story.

"Yet the Welshman felt a shattering in his own bosom when he left his Captain fair. The stranger wished to fix it, promising everything that the Welshman could possible need, but the only thing he desired was still out of reach. He loved the Captain with all of his being, even knowing that what love that they could have would be something that would be brief in the time of the Captain. He refused the Strangers gifts, his heart yearning the man he had spurned. A stroke of fate left a device for the Welshman, who, not trusting himself with the Captain, called a Doctor to relay his message. The Doctor knew of the Captains guilt, and pain, and of the pain of the Welshman. He sent the Welshman proof the Captains guilt. And of his shame, and love for the Welshman. Thusly the Welshman called his Captain."

Jack kissed Ianto's tears away, pulling the man to his chest.

"I heard the Welshman's message and came running. Hoping to make amends for my actions, atone for my sins and mend the shattered bond between us."

"But the bond had not been shattered, merely smudged. For the two men loved each other. And the Welshman forgave the Captain."

Ianto Kissed Jack passionately hand's tangling in hair and skin burning at the touch. Jack pulled away.

"So, Ianto Jones, would you accompany me to dinner tonight, at say 6:30?"

"Is dinner a euphemism for something?"

"Italian?" Jack said, and Ianto kissed him softly.

"It's a date." A soft rapping on the door stopped them from furthering their agreement. The door opened, and Miss Mayweather backed into the room, a tray of coffee in ornate cups set beside two plates of pancakes. Jack pulled his Welshman closer to his chest, causing him to blush fiercely.


	17. Chapter 17: Comparable Companions

The elderly woman say the Welshman;'s blush and laughed warmly.

"Oh, look, he's a bashful one Captain. What is your name son?"

"I-Ianto." He stammered, coughing slightly.

"No need to be embarrassed kid, I don't judge love. She set the tray on the table. And leaned sideways to them, as if sharing a secret. "Personally lad, I never understood the need for labels, or titles and all that. Love is love, it knows no bounds!" She straightened up the errant coffee mugs from the room. "I had a hell of a time convincing Olivia of that one. But a few weeks of flirting and she was putty in my hands."

Both Ianto and Jack let their mouths fall open. "Oh don't look so shocked kiddos. I may be old, but I'm not stodgy, don't let the job fool ya."

She headed for the door, when a slight Asian woman of 6o or so popped her head in the door.

"Dear, the frog faced man and the cute Japanese woman downstairs are asking about a Captain and his Tea-boy." She peered into the room. "Oh my, I'm terribly sorry sirs, did the Missus bother you?" Jack laughed as Ianto disentangled himself and headed to the bathroom.

"No ma'am. I umm I need to get ready." He shut the door, as Jack stood from the bed.

"You two are so sweet together you are! Though he looks a bit rattled."JAck nodded.

"He's had a bit of rough week. WE have been having a rough week." The two women looked at each other, seeing the hidden meaning in the words.

"Is there anything that we can do to help?" Olivia asked genuinely intrigued. She happened to like the couple.

"Actually, yes, if I may ask a favor?"

"Anything you need, we'll see what we can do." JAck smiled warmly at the two unlikely helpers.

Gertrude wrapped her arm around the slight woman fondly, as the Captain filled them in on his plan to woo his Lover.

"You sir, are an absolute romantic. And don't worry about a thing. Just take him and your frowning counterparts out for the day, and everything will be ready for you when you return."

Jack grinned, as the topic of conversation stepped out of the bathroom, suit immaculate as ever, and hair back in place.

"That coffee smells wonderful ma'am." Ianto took up the mug, taking a sip, his eyes widening in shock.

"This is magnificent? Did you make it?" THe Welshman asked Gertrude and the elderly woman shook her head.

"Nope that would be my Olive. Makes the best Coffee in Cardiff." The other woman rolled her eyes elbowing her partner in the ribs.

"I swear she only married me for my Coffee." Gertrude licked her lips staring lovingly at her wife.

"And the sex. The sex is amazing." The Asian woman blushed pushing her partner out the door.

"I apologize for my Gerty. Age has done nothing to slow her down."

The two women left the room, and Ianto turned to Jack, a bemused smile on his face.

"Remind you of anyone?" Ianto said, as Jack downed his coffee and they linked arms.

"If you are as cute as that Olivia is in 40 years, then yes." Ianto rolled his eyes, kissing Jack softly before walking down the steps.

"So are you dating me for MY coffee?" Ianto asked playfully.

"That and the sex. The sex is amazing. Though I have to add your wit, charm, personality, beauty, talent, intelligence, did I mention the sex yet?" Ianto laughed and saw Tosh and Owen running to them, Tosh's face blushing furiously.


	18. Chapter 18: Age Is But a Number

"Tosh, what happened?" Ianto asked genuinely worried.

"Gertrude is a very nice woman, but does she not remind you of someone?" Tosh stared pointedly at Jack. Owen piped in

"Yea, come to think of it it's like an older, lesbian you two!"

Owen threw up his hands in exasperation.

"I liked them though." Tosh said softly.

Ianto smiled. "I do too." Jack raised his hand like a child.

"Me three!" Owen rolled his eyes.

"Well I can't say that I don't, but if you two are anything like those two, then I fear you'll never grow self-control with age." Ianto laughed.

"Ok then, let's go back to the HUB and get settled I have a date tonight and I do not want to be late. Tosh nodded, and she shared a knowing grin with Owen. The Torchwood team headed to the SUV smiling and laughing together.

Olivia Mayweather leaned against the door frame of the manor, staring wistfully after the Torchwood team. She had a meal to cook and a table to arrange for the handsome young men of the morning. She felt a familiar pair of slender arms wrap around her, a chin resting on top of her head.

"You know those two remind me a bit of us, at the beginning, all those years ago." Gertrude chuckled kissing tenderly her wife's ear.

"With that RAF coat, he looked almost like you in your WAVES uniform, strutting through the office like you owned it, cuffs pressed onto my wrists as you carted me away, only to have those same cuffs used so many different ways over the years." The other woman nodded.

"Did you hate me for that? Arresting you because someone accused you of being a spy? Simply for being Japanese?" The other woman spun around, hugging herself to her wife's chest.

"No, never. I may have wanted to, but it obviously didn't work." Gertrude leaned down a tender kiss planted firmly on the other's hair.

"Yea, we are still as in love now as we were then, in the middle of the war. And we will always be this way." Olivia smiled.

"Now let's get to work lazy, we have an adorable young couple, as in love with each other as we are, need us to pull this surprise together."

"Fine." A pout, "Twenty minutes?" Gertrude clasped Olivia's hand dragging her away.

"Thirty and I'll cook the dessert!"


	19. Chapter 19: Hart-felt Goodbyes

The team was gathered around the Interrogation room window.

"What are we going to do with Hart?" Owen asked, and Jack shrugged.

"I'll deal with it." Ianto stated, moving out the door and down the stairs, none of the other's saying a word. He had a warm mug of coffee with him.

"Eye Candy!" John said, with his most charming smile.

"Morning. Brought you coffee." The Archivist handed the mug to the faux Captain, looking approvingly at the tea mug and blanket piled on the floor beside the chair.

"Thanks gorgeous. Your coffee is to die for." Ianto rolled his eyes.

"Let's not make it come to that conclusion then, shall we?" John laughed softly, looking into Ianto's eyes. What he found there both broke his heart and warmed it.

"You and Harkness patched things up then." He said it so firmly, without a question, that Ianto simply nodded, smiling softly.

"He's going to be the death of you." Observing from above Jack bristled.

"I know." Ianto said, no malice or fear in his voice. John nodded pulling up on his still bound wrist.

"Your choice Eye Candy, you can still come with me." Ianto rolled his eyes again, the gesture more reflexive than anything. He stood to un-cuff John's wrist.

"As much as I enjoyed your kidnapping me from my job, and pampering me in the lap of luxury, I have all I want here." He nodded behind him, and John saw the undiluted love in the Welshman's eyes.

"Ok, then." John said, masking his emotions as well as he could. Ianto handed the man his wrist strap, backpack, and phone.

"That's everything. Have a nice life John." Ianto turned to go, but John grabbed his arm, spinning him around and kissing him firmly. The Welshman was surprised, but gave in none the less, allowing this man who had showed him kindness, the last comfort of a farewell.

The kiss took the team members by surprise.

Owen spun away, not wanting to see it.

Tosh blushed, surreptitiously hitting the record button.

Jack stared, open eyed and awed, as his ex and current lovers were locked in a passionate embrace, mouths melted together. Ianto's hand lightly resting on John's neck while John toyed with the Welshman's hair. They parted, John flushed and out of breath, Ianto's hair disheveled, but looking like he had no response.

"Goodbye Hart." Ianto said, stepping back. The faux Captain looked up at the observation booth, strait into Jack's hidden eyes.

"Take care of this one Jack. You hurt him again, and it won't be a choice next time." With that the former time agent was gone, leaving Ianto with a brilliant flash of light. The Welshman limped about the room, gathering up the remnants of their guest and heading upstairs, only to have Jack stop him in the hall. He expected fury or at least anger at Ianto for snogging his ex, but there was only compassion, and lust (?) in his eyes.

"Look ,sir, before you-" Another kiss, this one just as heated and passionate as the one he had just shared with Hart, except Ianto allowed himself to fall further into this one, tongues dancing rhythmically together in the shared cavern of mouths, hands roaming clothing, looking, searching.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew them apart.

"Meet me in my office in ten." Jack rasped, and Ianto shook his head.

"We have a date tonight, sir. This-" Ianto grabbed the front of Jack's tenting jeans affectionate, slowly rubbing his thumb over the fabric, forcing a moan from the immortals lips. "Can wait until after we've had our date."

Jack stared at the Welshman in shock, wanting desperately to show his Welshman how much he loved him, in the most physical of ways. But the Captain understood the message clearly. This wasn't just sex, and until Jack could prove himself, there would be none. The immortal nodded.

"Yes Yan. I understand." Jack made to move away, before deciding to take the gamble and grabbed Ianto's hips, grinding the pair together. Ianto moaned at the contact, feeling his resolve nearly crumble.

"Tonight, 6:30. I'll pick you up at yours." Jack said, before hobbling off down the hall in front of Ianto. Toned rear in tight jeans taunting the Welshman viciously. The Welshman sighed. As much as he wanted Jack, he had made a promise, and Ianto was going to make sure that the Immortal kept it.


	20. Chapter 20: Peculiar Encounter

The rift alarm went off at 1, sending the Torchwood team off in search of the spike. Ianto stayed at the SUV, his foot not lending itself to the rigorous running that usually accompanied field work.

A peculiar species of aliens, sentient, yet small, had fallen from the rift. They were friendly, genuinely intrigued by the new planet, and seemed nonplused at the prospect of never returning home. Ianto joined the team outside, knowing that the likelihood of physical exertion was minimal.

"We are young." They said, through Tosh's translator, purple tentacles waving.

"We were traveling search of a new home. A place to live our lives." Jack nodded.

"What habitat are you used to. You don't seem to have any issue with our atmosphere." THe Captain asked, trying to gather a baseline of data. The creatures nodded, tentacles writhing as their mouth beaks moved.

"It is compatible, though more hydrogen 2 oxygen pairing would be more amicable to our life cycles." Tosh smiled.

"What sort of respiratory system do you have?" SHe inquired.

"Osmotic. Our cells take in nutrients through the surfaces around us. The orifices on our face are merely of reproductive and auditory function." Owen balked, Jack grinned, and Tosh blushed slightly. Ianto's voice hissed in the captain's ear.

"Jack, don't even think of commenting on that." the captain snapped his mouth shut, repressing the remark.

"OK, then, how many offspring will you produce in your life span." Owen stated, composing himself.

The two aliens looked at each other, and started gargling at each other. The Torchwood team took it as the equivalent of laughter.

"None. We are both the male equivalent of our species. We will not breed." Jack grinned broader. The two aliens caught the motion looked at each other, tentacles waving in the direction of Ianto and Jack.

"You two. You are like us. Pair bonded, yet not breeding. Tell us, how that works with your species."

Ianto's eyes bulged and he stammered, his face flushing a soft pink.

Jack grinned ever broader, taking the translator from a giggling Tosh and approaching the aliens. In a language the rest of the team didn't recognize- well Tosh and Owen didn't, Ianto knew it was Jack's home tongue- Jack explained in apparently grand detail the workings of his relationship with Ianto. The Archivist rubbed the back of his neck, trying to subdue the blush that now turned him a beautiful shade of rose. The aliens too seemed quiet flushed, there violet color bordering on deep blue.

"That is quite a, system that you have. Very, elaborate."

Ianto spun around, his face in his hands, trying to compose himself. He faced the aliens again, who were looking at him with what he could only guess to be humor, or admiration one.

"So, osmotic nutrient system, needing to be surrounded by water. What temperature do you thrive in?" Ianto said, pulling the discussion away from the awkward topic of his and Jack's love life.

"Warm waters. especially those that contain habitable structures." the aliens said, flesh tone approaching what was to be assumed as their natural coloring. Owen spoke.

"Mediterranean sea. Call UNIT, have them escort our guests there." Tosh smiled warmly at the dead man, his solution was well planned.

"Ok then. What were your names again?" Jack asked pointing at the aliens.

"They will not translate, but they are also unimportant. We will gladly wait until your colleagues arrive to take us to the newly arranged area." Jack nodded opening the back of the SUV.

"If you would please accompany us back to our base, we will gladly keep you comfortable." The aliens slithered into the vehicle tentacles tangling together.

"We apologize for the cramped ride; it is only a short distance back to where you will be staying for now. Once there I will handle anything else you guys will need." Ianto said, making sure all of the tentacles were in before shutting the door.

The rest of the team got into the SUV, keeping conversation to a minimal. Owen and Tosh whispered conspiratorially in the back, while Ianto kept himself distanced from Jack in the front.

"Yan, they did ask. Was I supposed to say no?" Jack said, not liking the uncomfortable silence coming from his lover.

"No, you did what you were supposed to, and I thank you for not saying it to where Tosh and Owen could understand. It's just a little embarrassing is all?" Jack frowned.

"So sleeping with me is embarrassing?" Ianto turned wide eyed and pink cheeked.

"No! God no, that's not it! I just don't like being the center of attention."

Jack nodded smiling softly at the fact that he could ruffle the usually so reserved Welshman's feathers.

"Making sure. I wouldn't want to do anything that would embarrass you." Ianto rolled his eyes, looking back at Tosh and Owen, who weren't paying any attention, and caught the eye of one of the aliens, who was peering intently at him. Ianto turned in his seat, and Jack caught the aliens gaze in the rearview mirror.

"Yan, as soon as we get these beings settled, I want you to go home, and take Tosh. Owen and I can handle UNIT."

"Yes sir." Ianto said, smiling softly.

The SUV pulled up to the HUB, making good use of the base's underground garage. Ianto was the first to get out, helping Tosh out of the car before heading to the back to release their guests. Tosh handed him the translator as she took the front, the aliens following with Ianto close behind.

"We are most gracious for your helping us in this new environment." They said, as Tosh took them to the interrogation room. Ianto scooted the table to the side, pulling in some padded mats for the aliens to rest on. At least he assumed they would rest on them. Their slender frame was bristling with long tentacles, and Ianto really couldn't discern which appendages belonged were.

"I apologize for the dreariness of your current surroundings. It is only until we can get you a lift somewhere more comfortable. Now. Would you care for a drink?" The aliens gargled their laughter at each other before responding to Ianto's query.

"We tasted something most peculiar in the air when we arrived. The smell was more concentrated from a container on a surface in the big room. Could you bring us a similar container?" Ianto thought quickly, container, container. Mug! Tosh's coffee mug! They wanted coffee.

"Certainly. One for both of you, or would you like individual mugs."

"Individual. It tasted very well." Ianto smiled, leaving the room.


	21. Chapter 21: Coffee and Conversation

Ianto entered the great room, and Jack met him, the Welshman's coat in hand.

"Here you are! Tosh is already ready to leave." Ianto shook his head.

"Our guests want coffee." He went to the kitchenette, starting a brew of coffee with a pouting Jack in the doorway.

"Do you really want me gone that badly, sir?" Ianto asked his voice neutral. Jack blushed.

"No, no it's just." Ianto poured the brew into each mug, adding sugar and cream to which ever mug was necessary, a cinnamon stick in Jack's.

"Just what?" Ianto asked, placing each mug on its tray.

"This." Jack said, snatching his mug and stirring the cinnamon stick.

"Cinnamon. Jack what does cinnamon have to do with anything?" The Archivist folded his arms across his chest and quirked an eyebrow at Jack.

The immortal sighed, running his hand through his hair. How could he word this without pissing Ianto off?

'You always do these things. Sweet, perfect things that drive me crazy, Ianto. You don't think anything of it. A special cinnamon stick in my coffee here, my favorite biscuits with lunch there. The way you move about the Hub with such grace and ease. Everything you do I find, frankly, extremely sexy." Jack paused, letting that Sink into Ianto, the blush that claimed the Welshman's cheeks was enough to let Jack know that he wasn't angry. The immortal stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Ianto's waist and pulling him close. Their faces were mere inches apart.

"I want you out of here so that way I can keep to your wishes of no sex until after our date." Ianto kissed Jack briefly before pulling away and grabbing the tray of coffee.

"I'll be out of your hair in ten." And he walked away, ears pink, and smile unfaltering. Jack watched him go, sipping his coffee and stirring it occasionally with the cinnamon stick.

"Sorry Olivia, your coffee has lost its tittle as the best in Cardiff."

Ianto backed into the interrogation room, coffee tray in hand. He shut the door with an elbow, turning around to see the two aliens with their beaks together tentacles intertwining. He spun back around, face crimson. It was no stretch of the imagination, despite the differences in anatomy, to decipher what the aliens were doing. He cleared his throat, trying not to think of what's going on, or what moment in his life this was reminiscent of. A gargling sound from behind him and the babbling sound that was there language rippled through the air. The translator on the tray sounded.

"Hello Ianto Jones, I see you discovered how we mate." Ianto's ears burned brighter, as he turned around guiltily.

"Ye yes. So-sorry about that. I b-brought your c-coffee." The Welshman stammered.

One of the aliens was that deep blue color, which Ianto had begun to associate as a blush.

"No need to be embarrassed human, we were only starting." Ianto blushed deeper, and the other alien said something untranslatable to its partner.

"Fine." The alien gesticulated at the mugs, its tentacle reaching out and grasping the handle. The other repeated the gesture, settling back with its mug. The both stuck a tentacle in the mug, each turning such a light shade of violet that Ianto stepped back slightly, afraid to have injured them.

"This liquid is-" And untranslatable gurgle. The other apparently carried the sentiment.

"Agreed. Tell me, human, will this liquid be where you are transporting us?" Ianto shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid not. However, I could arrange to have some sent to you every now and then." Ianto said, in truth, as uncomfortable as the aliens made him, and the fact that Jack had detailed his love life to them, he found himself relating to them.

"That would be splendid!" They both nodded their eye stalks towards the Welshman. Suddenly Ianto's phone rang. Jack.

"Ianto that was UNIT. They can't get a transport out here until tomorrow. Our guests will be staying here tonight." Ianto bit his lip, glancing anxiously at the creatures.

"So, do you want to postpone tonight? I wouldn't hold it-"

"NO!" Jack screamed into the phone and Ianto smiled softly, the man really is insatiable.

"No, Owen can watch over them for the night. He doesn't sleep anyway." Owen in the background shouting something along the lines of 'Even dead men have lives!' at Jack, and Jack shouting back 'It's either you or Tosh, cause Ianto and I are gone unless it's an ABSOLUTE emergency.' Ianto smiled, deciding to toy with Jack.

"And what, sir, makes you think that we will be gone all night?" In his office, Jack's face fell. He was so pretentious! Thinking that Ianto would sleep with him right out of the gate.

"Oh, Ianto I am so sorry I wasn't thinking." Ianto stopped. Jack sounded so hurt. Too soon, then, to tease his lover.

"Jack, it's ok. Wow me tonight and I may make Owen handle UNIT all day tomorrow." It was an empty comment, but the Archivist knew the effect that it would have on the Immortal.

"So, I'll inform our guests of the delay, and then I'm gone. See you at 6:30." Ianto said hanging up, before drawing a deep breath and turning to the aliens.

"I regret to inform you that there will be a delay in your departure. I also will be taking me leave; I have a date this evening."

The aliens shared what appeared to be a knowing glance with each other.

"My colleague, Owen, will be taking care of anything that you may need until tomorrow." Ianto left the room with a final reassuring smile at the aliens.

Owen met him at the door.

"Give them whatever they want within reason; I don't want to risk angering them." Ianto put a hand on Owen's shoulder. "And thank you for taking care of Hart. I appreciate that." Owen nodded.

"You're welcome Tea-boy, though next time give a dead man a warning before you go snogging your kidnapper eh? Jack was about jump you through the window, and hell even Tosh was flustered." Ianto blushed, but couldn't resist the temptation of taunting the dead man.

"If you think that was hot, you should see this other captain I know. Now he really would have you all hot and bothered, if you had any blood circulation." The dead man balked before trying to smack the already fleeing Welshman.

"Bloody Tea-boy."


	22. Chapter 22: Revelations in Domesticity

Jack was in his office, staring out the window at Ianto as he pulled on his coat. Ianto smiled up at him, waving, before meeting up with Tosh.

"Sorry for the delay, our visitors wanted Coffee." Tosh smiled standing.

"Is that all that they wanted? I mean, I've seen enough Hentai to know where that could have gone." Ianto flushed crimson and stared open mouthed at the normally so reserved Toshiko.

"Yes they just wanted Coffee! Get you mind out of the gutter Miss Sato!"Tosh giggled, linking arms with the Welshman as they headed out of the cog door.

"So tell me, so you have any clue what Jack is planning for tonight?" Ianto asked as they walked across the Plass.

"Nope. Nothing. He just asked that I keep you company and help you get ready for your date tonight." The Asian woman elbowed the Welshman in the ribs playfully.

"Well I'm hungry. Its nearly three and neither of us have had a lunch yet." Tosh wanted to deny it, but the rumbling in her stomach put a stop to it.

"Take out, or would you rather I cook something?" Ianto asked. They stood at the fateful corner in which Ianto had fled just a few nights ago.

"Why don't you cook? I would rather be at your place anyway." Tosh said wrapping her jacket tighter around her slender shoulders.

"It is a bit nippy isn't it?" Ianto commented, grasping her hand as they walked the few blocks to the Welshman's flat. He saw the curtains of his neighbor's house twitch as the elderly neighbor spied on him, and he rolled his eyes. What a shock she must be having at seeing him come home in the middle of the day with a woman.

He smiled at that, and Tosh couldn't help but notice the humor that seemed to creep over the Welshman.

"What?" She asked, stepping into his flat and shedding her overcoat and boots.

"Just thinking of what my neighbor must be thinking. This is the first time I've ever brought a woman home with me." Tosh laughed, sitting gracefully on Ianto's couch and letting out a contented sigh.

"I've missed relaxing. Normally I'm at the HUB or having to deal with Owen." she shook her head. Ianto nodded sympathetically.

"I know the feeling. If it isn't Torchwood, it's Jack. That man never slows down." Tosh smiled, catching the innuendo laced under the casual comment.

"So what do you want for lunch?" he said, searching through his cupboards. "We've got pasta, peanut butter sandwiches, or ewe-" He saw the state of his fridge and quickly shut the door. "Pasta. We've got pasta. And I have shopping to do. "Tosh laughed.

"Torchwood tends to get in the way of domesticity, eh?" Ianto rolled his eyes, putting the pot of water on to boil.

"Do you think that Jack would ever be domestic?" Tosh asked casually, seeing the way Ianto smiled at the thought.

"Never. The fact that I have had the pleasure to wake up to him in the morning is as domestic as he gets."

Tosh wanted to hear bitterness in that sentiment. She wanted to hear anger or pain, but all she got was longing. Ianto knew that Jack couldn't give I domestic, he simply desired it. That tore at Tosh, ripped at her as she felt her heart go out to the Welshman.

"The bathroom still by your room?" She asked

"Yup, hasn't moved since you were here last." Ianto smiled softly, putting the noodles on. Tosh excused herself scurrying to the bathroom phone in hand. She needed to talk to Jack.


	23. Chapter 23: Prep Time

Tosh latched the bathroom door, sitting on the edge of the sink and dialing the Captain's number.

"Captain Jack Harkness." came the reply from the other end. Tosh sighed.

"Jack, I have a question." Jack paled, leaning against his desk.

"Yes, why? Did something happen to Ianto?" The concern in his voice brought Tosh's hand to her heart.

"No, not really, I was just thinking, have you ever done anything, Domestic."

Jack spun his pencil on his desk, Domestic?

"Where is this coming from Tosh?" Tosh bit her lip.

"I was talking to Ianto, he was cooking lunch, and I asked him if he could ever see you being all domestic." Jack froze. That wasn't something that he had done in ages, would Ianto even want that?

"What did he say?"

Tosh heard the uncertainty and, concern? That laced the immortals voice.

"That the most domestic thing you did was let him wake up with you in his arms." The flatness of Tosh's voice did nothing to lessen the blow.

"Well, do you think Ianto wants domestic? I mean, do you think he would want me to putter around the house, making him breakfast and picking up. Do you think he would be ok with all of the things that come with, with that?"

Jack managed, his voice oozing with insecurity. Tosh rolled her eyes and shifted her weight on the counter.

"I think that is exactly what he wants Jack. I think he wants you, and everything that comes with it. He loves you; don't you think that means all of you?" Jack let that sink in.

All of him? Jack was mostly secrets. But the darkest ones that Ianto had seen had done little to dissuade him. The Welshman loved him through things that Jack him wanted to run from. He was always right there, by his side, no matter what.

"Yes. Mark my words Toshiko Sato. I won't let you down." TOsh smiled softly, Jack really would keep to it she was sure. The line went dead and Tosh stepped out of the bathroom, only to be greeted with the delicious sent of Spaghetti.

_Just how long have I been in there?_ She wondered.

"Finish your phone call?" Ianto deadpanned piling the pasta onto two plates. Tosh paled.

"How did you-"

"Talking to oneself is the first sign of madness. And since you're not going mad. Plus this house has really bad soundproofing. Trust me. The number of times the police have been called over because of Jack and I-" He didn't finish, realizing exactly what he had just said.

"You are just as bad as Jack with that, do you know that?" Tosh smiled, putting her phone back into the pockets of her jeans.

"Yup, comes with the territory." He set the plate on the small kitchen table. "Water or wine?" He asked.

"Water." He nodded pouring two glasses from the pitcher by the sink.

"So, was Jack checking up to see if I had disappeared with another of his ex-lovers, or were you just calling to check on Owen." He sat down, twirling a noodle around his fork.

"I called Jack to ask him a question. He answered it and things are good, ok?" Ianto just raised an eyebrow, but didn't push the topic further. They ate the rest of their small meal silently. Neither of them knowing a conversational topic to speak on.

The clock chimed, and the two of them jumped.

"Shit. I have less than two hours to get ready!" He leapt from his seat, dashing into his bedroom, Tosh followed.

"Geese Ianto, what's the big deal? You don't have to do your makeup or anything." Tosh teased, as the Welshman removed himself of his shirt and trousers, running a hand through his hair. Tosh caught her breath. He was gorgeous.

No wonder Jack couldn't keep his hands of Ianto. From the defined muscles on his thin frame, to the smattering of dark hair against the pale skin of his chest, he was beautiful. The technician couldn't help but feel her pulse rise slightly as her gaze wandered the Welshman's frame.

"Tosh!" Ianto said, waving a hand in front of her face. She blushed.

"Yes, sorry. You were saying?"

The Welshman rolled his eyes.

"I said that I haven't the foggiest idea of what to wear." Tosh mimicked the Tea- boy's earlier gesture.

"Ianto, it's a date with Jack. You could show up in a potato sack, and he wouldn't care." Ianto frowned, but nodded his head in agreement.

"It would help if I knew where I was going." Tosh pulled out her phone. Walking out of the room . SHe pressed redial, only to get an agitated Jack.

"Tosh, what now?" He grunted.

"Ianto is freaking out over what to wear. Any helpful hints?" Jack smiled softly. He could see his lover rushing around the room in his boxers trying to decide what to wear.

"The red suit, or his black suit. Not his usual suits though. Dress him up a bit." Tosh smiled.

"Got it."She hung up, turning back to the half-naked Welshman. "You have a red suit?" Ianto blushed and gestured for Tosh to follow him into his closet. She was shocked to see two distinctive halves of it. One had dozens of garment bags, each containing a different suit. The other had shirts and pants of varying colors and materials, even some leather Jackets. She assumed that these garish getups were for his performing, but she couldn't dispel the image of Ianto in leather pants and a skin tight t-shirt on stage.

"So here it is." Ianto said, pulling an anonymous garment bag out of the lineup and removing a crimson suit from the bag.

"Why don't you pair that with hmm-" She pretended to give the issue some thought, before plucking a silky black button up and matching tie from the closet.

"There, that will look great. Now off with you, shower and shave and do your hair. You have." She peered at her watch.

"1 hour and 45 minutes to get ready. Now go." Ianto took the clothing and dashed off to the bathroom. Rushing through a quick shower and blow-drying his hair to a perfect puff, she shaved quickly, carefully removing the stubble of the day, before assembling the outfit that Tosh had assured him Jack would love. Looking at his watch he didn't bother to double check his appearance, instead dashing into the living room to put on his shoes.

Tosh stopped him, eyeing his outfit approvingly.

"You look great!" she said straitening his tie and double checking everything. He really did. The slender line of the suit made him look thin, the deep red complementing his completion perfectly. She knew exactly why Jack had decided on this outfit.

"When did you get a red suit anyway? I've never seen you wear it." Ianto shrugged.

"Jack bought it for me after a weevil hunt destroyed another suit. I thought it was a bit garish, so I never wore it. Why, is something wrong with it?" He asked, panicked.

"No! No, it looks amazing on you, that's why I asked. You've never worn it before." Ianto calmed.

"It's red. A big red suit. I didn't think it would go over well with my station as Background man to run around in a red suit." Tosh smiled, saddened slightly at what Ianto viewed himself as. A knock on the door made the two of them jump.


	24. Chapter 24: First Date Jitters

Jack was nervous. He had been on plenty of dates before. He had wined and dined hundreds of different men women and aliens of various ages and origins. But this was different. This time he was nervous. The bouquet of roses he had planned on buying seemed too much, and simultaneously not enough for his Welshman. Jack decided that a single red rose was perfect. But now, now he was feeling under prepared. Now he was at the Welshman's front door, with only a single red rose to give him.

He knocked , tentatively, half hoping that Ianto would ignore him and move on. The door swung open, and the Immortal's heart leapt into his throat.

Ianto looked absolutely magnificent. The red suit that the captain had hoped he would wear, paired with a silky black shirt and tie. The Immortal thought that it made the Ianto look as if he was glowing.

Ianto held his arms out to his sides. "What do you think?"

Jack stammered a bit, not knowing exactly how to get the words he wanted to say out.

"I'll take it then, that I look ok." Ianto's small smirk drew Jthe captain back together.

"Yes, you look stunning, I mean wow. Just wow." Ianto stepped out of the flat, closing the door on a giggling Tosh.

"Here this is for you." Jack handed Ianto the red rose, and much to his joy the Welshman blushed.

"Jack, this is perfect. Thank you." Ianto leaned forward, planting a kiss on the Immortal's cheek. He held the rose to his chest, the gesture choking the captain up ever so slightly.

"Ok then, I believes that we have a reservation to keep." Jack took Ianto by the arm, leading him down the steps and into the SUV. The twitch of a curtain let Ianto know that he would be getting a very concerned phone call from his neighbor in the next few days.


	25. Chapter 25: Point

As if on que, the moment the door latched, Tosh's phone began to ring.

"Owen?"

"Yea, hey Tosh, what's up?" Tosh smiled, ever since the doctor had died, he had taken it upon himself to actually care.

"Being bored, Ianto just left with Jack"

"Oh? tell me, was Tea-boy ok? I mean he has had a pretty bad week." The technician chuckled, leave it to the dead man to ask about how Ianto was.

"I don't think we will have to worry about him for a while."

The doctor shook his head, "You are almost as bad as they are you know that?" Another laugh, Owen loved to hear Tosh's laugh.

"So, Owen, I was just thinking-"Tosh fidgeted with the hem of her sweater, composing the words that she wanted to say. "since the rest of the team would be otherwise occupied tonight, if you would care for some company at the HUB for a while."

Owen let out a silent exclamation of joy. He had wanted Toshiko to join him, but hadn't thought of how to ask.

"If spending your evening with a dead man and some aliens is what you want to do with your evening, far be it from me to tell you no."

The technician shook her head. Even in death Owen was a sarcastic arse.

"I'll be at the HUB in thirty" She hung up the phone, dashing around Ianto's apartment getting herself together. Hair, makeup, and clothes refreshed, and she was out the door, only to run into an elderly woman.

"Excuse me ma'am." The Tosh murmured, but the elderly woman took her arm. "Let go!" Tosh was panicking, who in the world was this?

"No Lass." The woman screeched shaking the wrist firmly."Listen to me. That Jones boy is no good for you. Handsome he may be, but yours he is not. As much as I loathe it, he comes home with that shady character in the RAF coat ni on every night."

Tosh nearly laughed in the woman's face. The look must have registered, because the elderly woman's grip grew tighter.

"I've seen 'em, parading around here with no care in the world. Snogging on that car. 'Tis shameless it is."

Tosh recoiled as though the woman had bit her. Anger was the only word to describe what she felt coiling in her chest. Anger at this nosey matron.

"Don't let your young heart get sucked in by the wiles of a pretty face! Especially a pretty face that lives in sin."

Tosh wrenched her arm free, she had heard enough. In her coldest and most controlled voice, she put the elderly woman in her place.

"First of all, ma'am, Ianto Jones is my best friend, not my lover. Second of all, if he was my lover, it still would be none of your business." The technician let anger rule her features, and watched the other woman shrink slightly.

"And lastly, not only is Ianto Jones' love life none of your concern, it is also not your place to judge what is a sin. Jack and Ianto love each other more than any other couple I have ever met, and far be it from me to condemn them for that. I have seen them literally sacrifice their lives for each other. You seem to enjoy spying on your neighbors, have you not seen Ianto come home in braces and casts, or covered in bruises?"

The elderly woman paled, remembering the time she had phoned around, gossiping about his apparent accident.

"He is a hero, and you hate him just because the love of his life is also a man." Tosh spat the last words storming off into the street, leaving the old woman in shadow.


	26. Chapter 26: Hidden Affection

Ianto and Jack sat in the car, neither one knowing what to say. They were finally going on a date. Finally moving into the stage in their relationship were it could actually be called a relationship, and neither of them want to spoil the moment. Yet the tension grew nearly unbearable, and Jack had questions.

"So Ianto." The immortal started, feigning nonchalance. The Welshman turned from gazing out the window to gazing at the immortal.

"Yes sir?" Jack groaned inwardly, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips.

"What have I said about calling me sir?" Ianto grinned evilly.

"Sorry, sir. Won't happen again, sir." Jack cracked a soft smile, that quickly pulled into a frown.

"Ianto, why did you choose me?" The Welshman's countenance collapsed. He fidgeted, straightening out the flawless seams of his trousers.

"What do you mean, Jack?" The captain shrugged.

"Why did you choose me over John? I mean, aside from looks, we are on a pretty level playing field." The Archivist mimicked the Captain's earlier gesture.

"Numerous reasons. Some of them I would be embarrassed to share." Jack quirked an eyebrow.

"Like?" Ianto blushed, but decided to answer the question anyway.

"Like, well, he didn't smell right." Jack looked quizzically at his lover.

"Didn't smell right." Ianto rushed to explain.

"Remember when we were trying to catch Myfanwy, and I commented on your aftershave? And you said something about 51 century pheromones?" Jack grinned, he remembered that evening fondly.

"Well, at first I thought you were joking. I mean, I knew you were impossibly old, and frankly I didn't rule out that you from the future, I just thought that it wasn't possible for any human to smell that good naturally."

The immortal chuckled softly.

"And I'm assuming John is from the 51st century as well?" Jack nodded.

"Yea, but he's older." The Welshman rolled his eyes.

"But, you see, he, umm how do I put this?" Ianto took a deep breath.

"You smell like citrus and cocoa and nutmeg and spice. Sharp and sweet, yet warm and bold. And something so exotic so uniquely you that I can't place it."

Jack's smile softened, did he really smell that good to Ianto?

"And it's completely intoxicating." The Welshman took another deep breath, steadying himself to finish his thought. "When I'm close to you I fog over. I can't think, I can't breathe, and I'm lost. And then you touch me, and for a while everything is alright. I don't have to think, I can feel."

Ianto had turned to look back out the window, with Jack glancing over nervously. His lover rarely let this much go, and this was quite a lot.

"With Hart, though, he smelled ok, sure, like anyone else. But it wasn't as powerful as you. It just wasn't right."

The Captain swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew that John had similar irresistible pheromones than him. He had fallen victim to them on more than one occasion. By all accounts Ianto shouldn't be immune to their effects at all. Yet here he is.

"Well, Jones Ianto Jones, I seem to have a similar problem."

Ianto turned to him, eyebrow raised in confusion. Jack flashed him his patented mischievous grin before staring back out at the road.

"You are impossibly attractive for a 21st century human. Everything about you pulls me in. Your rugged beauty, your wit, your charm, it's a list that never ends. And aside from all of that, you tolerate me. Knowing everything that you do about me, you still love me" A deep breath. " I don't have to hide from you."

Jack Whispered this last part, unsure if Ianto would understand the gravity of such a statement. The captain had been running for most of his life. Running, hiding, waiting. It was all he had known. Even with the doctor he had run. Yet with Ianto all of that went away. Here was someone who understood. Here was someone who didn't care what he had done in the past. And Jack knew that, in his heart of hearts, if he asked his Welshman to run, Ianto would be by his side.

"Jack, you will never have to hide anything from me." Ianto placed a reassuring hand on the Immortal's thigh.

"I know." They drove in companionable silence for a moment. Then Jack pulled off the road, the tense silence replaced by a comforting warmth.


	27. Chapter 27: Smoothie and a Film

Tosh's temper had yet to cool when she arrived at the HUB. She knew that she was over reacting, if ever so slightly, but the elderly woman's remarks had burrowed deep into her skin. She too had felt the love of someone of her own sex. Granted it had only been for four days, and technically the woman had been an alien, but the feelings were still there.

Owen seemed to sense the technician's mood before she had even managed to cross the HUB's threshold. He was waiting by the door with, of all things, a fruit smoothie and a warm bowl of popcorn. The screens of the HUB displayed the intro screens to Star Wars.

"Right. So, thought since you were being so kind as to help me alien sit, I would make it enjoyable for the both of us. My favorite movie, your favorite movie foods, and the fact that we won't have to listen to the Tea-boy shagging the Captain for a whole evening."

The dead man smiled nervously, and Tosh gave him hug.

"Thanks Owen, this is exactly what I need right now." He smiled broader, noticing with a little concern the tension in the woman's neck.

"Tosh, do you want to talk about what made you angry, or-" She shrugged.

"Nothing much to say. Ianto has a really rude neighbor that really stepped on my nerves."

Owen nodded, choosing not push the topic further. He simply walked behind Tosh and put an arm around her shoulder, setting her down on the tattered couch, and using his good hand, slowly removed the knots from her shoulders. A few moments later, Tosh was relaxed against Owens shoulder on the couch, anger forgotten and smoothie in hand.

Owen smiled at the beautiful woman on his arm, whishing again, and not for the first time, that it hadn't taken him dyeing to truly appreciate this woman. As the opening scroll of the movie began, the dead doctor and his beautiful genius felt truly content.


	28. Chapter 28: Trust

"Jack. What are you doing?" Ianto questioned, uneasy about being on the side of the road in the middle of Cardiff.

"Do you trust me?" Jack asked earnestly, reaching into his pocket. Ianto quirked an eyebrow.

"The last time you asked me that, I ended up handcuffed to the railing of the HUB, half naked, covered in glitter body paint in the middle of a rift alarm." The immortal warmed at the memory.

"Oh, ha, yea." He shook himself. "I promise that this time you won't end up in compromising position." Ianto looked skeptical, as the Captain pulled out a glittering silver handkerchief, folded into a blindfold.

"You and blindfolds don't have the cleanest track record, sir." Ianto said, pulse racing slightly. Jack laughed.

"I just want this night to be a surprise." The immortal accentuated his words with a firm squeeze to his lover's hand. "So again, do you trust me?"

The Welshman considered this. Did he? Jack had trampeled his heart, embarrassed and humiliated him. Hell, The Captain killed his last girlfriend! Yet Ianto felt no malice towards Jack. For every time he had ever hurt him, the immortal had picked him up again. With a smile, he nodded.

"With my life, as bad of a decision as that may be." He flashed his own mischievous grin at Jack, who promptly leaned forward and kissed Ianto's forehead, tying the blindfold around his eyes.

"There, now, no peaking, and I'll drive quickly." Ianto tenderly stroked the velvety petals of the rose in his lap, anticipating whatever was around the next corner.


	29. Chapter 29: Cooking

Olivia was frantic. She had less than twenty minutes before the handsome captain and his black haired partner would be back for their date. Gertrude wasn't any help at all. Being together for nearly 60 years had done nothing to make the other woman any more of a household help. Give Gerty a gun, she could out shoot anyone. Even in her old age she was brilliant. But give the woman a broom, or a whisk, and you might as well had asked her to build a tank! Olivia shook her head. Pulling the stuffed peppers out of the oven she heard the distant clatter of falling dishes, and her wife's enraged cursing.

"Olive! Do we have any other dishes?" Olivia rolled her eyes.

"That was our last set of guest dishes klutz!" Gertrude sighed, walking into the room with her hands on her hips.

"Now what are we going to do? Have them eat off paper?" Olivia swatted her dishtowel at the aproned figure of her wife.

"No, you are going to go choose a wine from the cellar, try not to break it, and I am going to get our fine china from the cupboard and set it up for them." The inn keeper nodded.

"Yes ma'am, anything else?" Olivia bit her lip, looking mournfully at the stairs.

"Can you go up into the attic and get the candelabra for the table?" Gertrude nodded.

"Is your hip giving you fits again?" The other woman sighed mournfully. Then grinned cheekily at her partner.

"Something seems to have aggravated it." Gertrude disappeared down the celler steps, tossing up one final remark.

"It's what you get for ageing so gracefully." Olivia shook her head. She had a table to set, food to prepare, a young couple to help, and fifteen minutes to do it in.


	30. Chapter 30: Hearing Things

**Authors note: I'm toying with the concept of adding a Telepathic or Empathic bond between Ianto and Jack. Let me know what you think of it**

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

_If only they knew how old I was._

"Captain Harkness?" A warm hand on his shoulder. "Are you ok there son?" Gertrude looked at him, concerned, and he put on a reassuring smile.

"Sorry, just nervous. This is my first date in, well, in nearly twenty years." He put an arm behind his head.

Olivia and Gertrude shared astonished glances.

"There is no way that's possible, unless you had your first date as a kid." Jack chuckled.

"I'm a lot older than I look. That gorgeous man out there is way too young for me. And frankly, he's out of my league. How I managed to snatch him is anyone's guess."

_" We've been through that Jack. I never stood a chance, though you are a bit older aren't you?"_

Jack managed to keep his composure at the voice, though he did reach up and make sure that he wasn't still wearing his COMM. Olivia smiled, leaning into Gertrude's side.

"I know the feeling, Olive here makes me feel like a cradle robber, but that hasn't stopped me." She squeezed the other woman slightly.

"So, on to your date." She clapped her hands "Go out the back door from the lobby, rip off his blind fold, try not to have sex on my steps, and then I'll bring out dinner." Jack blushed slightly. The boldness of this peculiar old woman was quite refreshing.

"Alright then. Thank you both so much." He kissed each of them in turn, causing both to blush. He dashed out of the room, shoes skidding on marble floors.


	31. Chapter 31: First Impressions

Ianto heard Jack running up from behind.

"Ready?" Ianto spoke aloud, figuring that it was worth responding, regardless of the voice's source.

"Always." A kiss arrived on his cheek, before the lips brushed his ear. "I'm going to take the blindfold off, but I want you to keep your eyes shut"

Ianto nodded, feeling the silken fabric slip from his face. His eyes remained shut as the hand guided him forward. He heard a door creak open, and a rush of cool night air greeted him. Another step, and he heard the door shut again.

Jack's own breath caught in his throat, as he beheld the miracle before him. A stone gazebo stood in the center of a massive garden. Fairy lights twinkled from the bushes and lit the whole garden with an unearthly glow. A single small table sat in the center of the gazebo, with two ornate chairs facing each other across it. The white table cloth didn't move an inch, even in the soft breeze. Jack smiled as he noticed that the gazebo was glassed in. Perfect.

"Open your eyes." Ianto gasped, His eyes filling with tears.

"Jack, this, its-" the Welshman couldn't find the words. He pulled Jack into a passionate kiss, conveying with his lips what he couldn't with words.

Jack pulled away, grinning broadly. He took the Welshman by the hand, leading his lover up the stone steps. The captain pulled out the chair for him. Ianto smiled, settling into the proffered seat. He was surprised to find himself considerably warm than he had been, standing outside. The Welshman gazed around him, glassed in. The lights in the hedges diffused slightly through the glass softening edges around them. The flickering candelabra on the table revealed two glassed of red wine, a small vase big enough for his rose, a fine set of china above anything Ianto had ever seen, and the beaming, yet nervous face of his lover across the table.

"Do you like it?" the immortal enquired, and Ianto rolled his eyes.

"Jack, it's absolutely perfect. Better than anything I could have ever dreamed." The Welshman sipped his wine, shocked at the quality of the selection.

"You really spared no expenses for a first date, huh." Jack blushed. Saddened slightly that it had taken him this long to get to a first date.

"Actually Yan, all of this is a gift." Ianto looked confused."It appears that you have made quite a good impression on a couple of amazing people, and they pitched in to help me treat you." The Welshman's brow furrowed further.

"Who?"

As if on cue, Olivia appeared from the edge of the gazebo, two steaming silver trays of food balanced expertly on each arm.

"Dinner is served." She proclaimed setting the trays down in front of them, while winking at Ianto in the process.

"Tonight's meal begins with spiced chicken soup, followed by stuffed bell peppers, Our main dish of six spice spaghetti, and a dessert of baked Alaska, as requested by Mr. Harkness." She nodded at him. "The wine for the evening is a Vintage Chardonnay circa 1963." The Captain nodded approvingly, and Ianto smiled at the kind elder woman.

"Thank you." He whispered, and the woman winked again disappearing from whence she came.

"So, all pretty spicy dishes, eh Jack?" Ianto said, sipping lightly the soup before him. The immortal shrugged.

"I asked for dishes that reflected you. I guess they thought you were hot." The Welshman rolled his eyes yet again, taking another sip of soup. They sat in amicable silence for a few moments, both of them sipping their soup and savoring each other's company.


	32. Chapter 32: A Meal with a Question

** Authors Note: I am going to go ahead with my idea of making Ianto an Empath. Tell me what you think.**

The second course came before Jack had found topic to as Ianto about.

"So, Ianto, when were you planning on telling me that you were an Empath?" Ianto choked on the bit of pepper that he had been eating. coughing slightly before swallowing.

"What do you mean?" Jack grinned.

"I can't think of any other reason for your talking to me from the other side of the house without anyone else hearing." Ianto paled.

"You heard that." Jack chuckled.

"Well yea. You were talking to me, weren't you?" Ianto shook his head, confused.

"Only answering things I heard you say, crystal clear, in my head." Jack's brow furrowed.

"So you haven't done this before?" Ianto shook his head.

"No, I mean they tested me at Torchwood London, but I failed. I just assumed that I was good at reading people. But this, this is really off." Jack grinned broader.

"So you didn't feel this with a certain other captain?" Ianto shook his head, his hand resting on top of the immortals.

"Jack, there was never anything between him and I. Especially no weird Empathic link that seems to have formed here." he pointed At Jack.

"That kiss said differently." Ianto smiled.

"That kiss had two purposes. A goodbye for Hart" Ianto's vice deepened seductively. "And a show for you." Jack's throat went dry, he remembered his reaction to seeing Ianto kiss John was not one of jealousy, but pure arousal.

"It served that purpose well, believe me." Jack's suddenly hoarse tone made Ianto smiled.

Gertrude and Olivia watched from the hedges, wrapped up in each other's arms. They couldn't hear what was being said, only the reactions that showed on their faces.

"Look at them Olive, so much in love with each other. You can see the sparks fly off of them." The elderly woman snuggled into her wife.

"That, and the fact that the longer the meal goes on, the closer they seem to get to each other." They both giggled quietly.

"Ready for the main dish?"

"Lady and the tramp. We are hopeless romantics aren't we?" The two woman sunk back into the kitchen retrieving the trays of pasta, and the bottle of wine. This evening would be memorable for both men, they would make sure of that.


	33. Chapter 33: Classic Romance

Ianto was ecstatic. For once in his life everything was as he had desired. The man of his dreams sitting across from him on his dream date. Nothing but love pouring forth from him.

"_The only thing that could have made it any better,_" he thought, _"was if jack asked to move in._"

Jack straitened slightly in his chair, a soft smile creeping over his face. He wanted to speak, to let his Welshman know about his intention to ask that very question, but was interrupted by Gertrude's arrival. A silver domed platter filled her arms, while Olivia materialized and replaced the Candelabra with a tea light. Rearranging the table so the singular tray could sit in the middle. Ianto gave Jack a quizzical look, and the other man simply shrugged. He was as confused as the Welshman. The trey lid was lifted with a polite "Bon Appetite" and a flourish of the elder woman's wrists. A single plate of spaghetti sat before them, and their mischievous hosts had vanished.

"Lady and the Tramp. These ladies really do know classic romance." Ianto quipped, nudging the Captains foot lightly.

"So am I the lady, or the Tramp." Jack asked, and Ianto rolled his eyes, swirling the spaghetti deftly onto his fork.

"Well, considering your personal life, I would say Tramp, but frankly, I don't fancy myself a lady." Jack's eyes darkened,

"No you definitely are not. However, you in a dress…" Ianto grimaced, imagining the images flickering through his lovers mind.

"You would have to get me either very drunk, or, you know what? Why am I even considering it?" He said exasperated.

"Because you know what it would do to me." Jack intoned, leering over the table. Ianto shook his head.

"When our relationship reaches the point where I have to dress in drag to get you to sleep with me, I feel like we would have other issues." Ianto swallowed a mouthful of spagetti, watching as Jack's grin faltered dangerously.

"Ianto, don't ever think that would ever force you to do anything you don't want to. No matter what." he had Ianto's hand pressed over his chest, and the Welshman's fork clattered to the table.

"Jack. I would do anything for you. If that means heels, than I guess I'll buy a pair." Jack laughed then, softly.

"You really would do it then?" Ianto turned pink, but nodded.

"Theoretically mind you. Don't go thinking that this is a promise." The immortal nodded, but kept his grin private. He released the Welshman's hand, the both of them continuing their shared meal. After two failed attempts on Jack's part for the shared noodle kiss, the Welshman gave in, letting the third noodle that joined their forks join their lips, then their tongues, the spices from the meal burning fire through their kiss. They parted, both sipping their waters generously, before bursting into laughter.

"There Jack. You had your romantic kiss of fire." Jack grinned broadly, gaining another eye roll from his lover. A giggling Gertrude came and took away their dinner trappings. Olivia set down two dishes, setting them on fire with an acetylene Torch. The two men clapped appreciatively, and the woman bowed, linking arms with her lover and walking out of the warm gazebo enclosure. Ianto dug his spoon into the delicious dish, savoring the sweet taste. Jack mimicked the motion, taking each movement excruciatingly slowly.

"Jack, stop." The Welshman laughed, and Jack licked another spoonful playfully. "I mean it sir." The immortal sighed, eating the next spoonful normally.

"Yan, you are no fun." Ianto quirked an eyebrow, swallowing another mouthful of his dish.

"I think you know full well how much fun I can be Sir." Jack froze, spoon halfway to his mouth, realizing exactly what his Welshman was entailing. The emotions pouring off the man were nearly enough or Jack to cancel the rest of his evening and take the young man to the first spare room.

"Ianto, I love you, but you really need to rein in those emotions. No wonder I never noticed your empathy before, we always act on it before it gets this far." The Welshman blushed.

"So your saying that I've been unwittingly seducing you with my apparent empathy this entire time?" Jack looked at his lover with horror filled eyes.

"No, Yan of course not, but." The Captain fidgeted with his napkin.

"But?" TH Welshman prodded, his hand rubbing soothing circles on the immortal's knuckles.

"The fact that it's only me that you've connected with, and no one else, has me thinking that maybe empathy isn't the right term." His lover nodded, finishing his dessert and leaning back leisurely, red suit straining against the muscles of his arms.

"You said that you're a mild telepath right?" Jack nodded. "Maybe we have formed some sort of, I don't know, bond maybe? A link?" Jack smiled.

"So what you're saying is that you can't get me out of your head." Ianto rolled his eyes but nodded.

"Yes Jack, that is, arguably, what I'm saying." Jack shrugged, sipping the rest of his wine.

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. I have sexy ass Welshman invading my thoughts anyway, may as well have him participate." Ianto chuckled.

"We'll figure this out later then, for now, let's enjoy ourselves."


	34. Chapter 34: Pictures

**Author's note: I really have no idea what is going on with this story at this point. Frankly I'm letting whatever happens happen. Any creative directions, corrections, comments, or thoughts would be appreciated.**

Gertrude had snapped a picture of their kiss, along with a few more throughout the date.

"I hope that pretty Miss Sato likes the picture we got for her." Olivia said, and Gertrude nodded.

"I still feel bad, snooping on them like this. It's their private dinner after all."

"Yea but imagine if we had pictures of our first date. And Miss Sato said that she has been building them a scrap book for years." Gertrude nodded.

"That whole Torchwood gang is pretty close knit." Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Well considering they all seem to be coupled up." Gerty snickered.

"So is their last surprise ready?" Olivia clapped her hands.

"Yes! I nearly forgot about that. What would I do without you?" She cradled her wife's face in her hands, and Gertrude laughed.

"Have better hips, more fine china, less headaches, and comfortable seaside villa that your husband would have bought you." Olivia shook her head.

"Then I am extremely glad that I have you." The two women stepped once more into the brisk air, to see Ianto and Jack engrossed in each other's eyes. Almost as if they were speaking without words.

"Ready?"

"Yep."


	35. Chapter 35: Fall

Tosh And Owen had half dragged, half carried the multi tentacle mass into the center of the hub, opting to stand him under the water tower until they could find better way of transporting him. The second creature, who they had named Glib, for the untranslatable noise that constantly found its way out of his mouth. Glib held his partner up under the water, letting out a gasp of relieve when he finally came around with a groan.

"What happened there then?" Tosh asked softly, and Glib answered.

"There was a lack of sufficient Hydrogen-Oxygen bonded particles in that room. It appears my partner here shut himself down so that I would be preserved." Owen and Tosh glanced nervously at each other.

"We didn't want you to get sick or anything. I would have gotten you some water if you had asked." Glib bowed his eyestalks in the approximation of a nod.

"I understood this, but didn't feel an issue arising until this twyllo decided to harm himself." Owen looked questioningly at Tosh.

"Did that just translate in Welsh?" Tosh shrugged.

"It does that sometimes." She turned her attention back to the aliens at hand.

"Can you please tell him that he doesn't need to go sacrificing himself as long as he is in our custody? We are here to help, not to harm. " Owen stated, slightly annoyed at the preventability of their situation. Tosh added quickly.

"If we would have known how little the water vapor index in that room was, we would have been more attentive." The aliens inclined their tentacles, the paler of the two more sluggishly.

"It is entirely our fault. Please do not feel guilt over this. I shall have words with him once he recovers fully."

"That will not be necessary. In his position, I would have made the same sacrifice. Especially for my partner." Owen said, glancing surreptitiously at Tosh. She blushed slightly, knowing that the doctor had already died for her.

"Now, if I may ask, is there any room in which the H2O concentration would be amiable for us?" Tosh dashed over the computer, typing furiously.

"Ok, so cell block C has a high moisture content, but it also has the Hoix. And frankly I don't want you two in a cell. You're our guests, not our prisoners." Glib gargled.

"That is something we have already established. I would be more than happy to remain in a – you called it a cell- next to another creature if it means the health of my partner will not be compromised." Tosh smiled at him softly.

"Alright then, I'll take you two down their once he gets better. Owen, will you please go sanitize it and pad it a bit? I don't want him freaking out." Owen nodded.

"Yes boss." He winked before disappearing to obey her command. Glib was still holding the other creature,

_Fall. That's an appropriate name for him. _Tosh thought, a sweet smile curling her lips.


	36. Chapter 36: Answers and a Dance

Ianto and jack sat there, hand in hand, enjoying the peace and quiet that they so seldom were able to witness. Gertrude and Olivia appeared beside them. Instead of clearing way their dishes, however, they held out to silk cloths. One TARDIS blue, the other, crimson.

"Miss Mayweather? What are those for?" Ianto asked, fear hidden under confusion.

"Relax child. We won't harm you. We have one last gift for you this evening," Olivia knelt beside Ianto.

"I promise, you're going to enjoy this." Ianto looked at Jack, who shrugged, then tapped the side of his head.

_"No better time to test if this is empathy or just me, eh Yan." _Ianto rolled his eyes. But focused on Olivia. He couldn't reach her thoughts, but felt very strongly feelings of happiness and compassion, and, something else. An attachment, attached to him. Then Gertrude. Similar feelings directed to both of them this time. But no anger, or malice. He gripped his head tightly, searing pain shooting through it, as he tumbled out of his chair.

"Yan!" Jack shouted, as he dashed up and cradled the Welshman in his arms.

"Jack." He groaned, rubbing his temples. Gertrude looked down in horror.

"Did we frighten the poor thing?" Olivia whispered, and Ianto held up a hand. The feelings of guilt and pity pouring off the two woman were unbearable.

"I'm alright, just a head ache. Could I trouble you two for some aspirin, or coffee?" The relief flooding Ianto from the loving couple buoyed him a bit.

"Jack, help me up yea? I don't want to get this suit dirty, it's growing on me." Jack chuckled, helping the Welshman up. Ianto fought off a dizzy spell, before leaning softly against Jack. The four went inside, Olivia brewing some coffee, and Gertrude getting some aspirin from the cupboard. Jack knew exactly what was happening, and felt bad for his poor Welshman.

"So, Empathy then." He stated flatly, and the Welshman nodded. He gripped his head again, the motion sending the room spinning.

"I tried, and then it wouldn't stop. The pain is better now, with them gone. You don't hurt." Jack tried not to let the saying get to him, but the phrase spread a smile across his face.

_"I don't know if I could handle hurting you."_ The Welshman kissed him softly, feelings of love surrounding them both.

_"I didn't get solid thoughts though. Just feelings and directions. With you I get full sentences, like your voice is in my head."_ Jack pulled away, cradling his lover's head in his hands.

_"Mildly telepathic honey. Our connection would be stronger, though this empathy did pick a very in-opportune time to manifest itself." _Ianto chuckled.

"Don't I know it."

Gertrude stood beside the pair, as they gazed into each other's eyes. She wanted to hand the pills to the men, but they appeared to be lost in their own world. Her thought of them having a conversation with their eyes was nearly confirmed when Ianto spoke. _Torchwood _She thought, but said nothing. Ianto turned to her, confusion and humor gracing his features.

"Here is that aspirin you asked for. Olive will bring you your coffee in a moment, as for that surprise, I really do not think that it's the best idea with that head ache. So we'll get a rain check." Olivia appeared, a thermos of coffee in hand. She handed it to Ianto, before turning on the Captain.

"You take him home then. Treat him right. And I expect to hear from the pair of you in the future, yea?" Ianto smiled, sipping the coffee gingerly and relishing the taste.

"Ma'am, I truly appreciate all that you have done." He looked at Gertrude. "Both of you. Tonight has been truly amazing. As for seeing you again, you had better believe it. With coffee this good." The Archivist held up the mug. "I'll be back quite a bit." The two woman hugged the pair, before shoeing them back out to the SUV. They remained there, looking after them as the both got into the SUV.

"I do hope they visit. That Welshman is cute, and I was looking forward to dancing again." Olive murmered. Gertrude smiled down at her, holding out her hand, the glow of the light escaping the open door casting a hallo about her white hair.

"May I have the honor of your accompaniment in this dance?" The other woman giggled, taking the hand and heading back into the house, following the soft strains of Moonlight Serenade into the dance hall, where they twirled and shuffled in each other's arms.


	37. Chapter 37: Humans

The aliens had settled into the Cell, Glib cradling Fall in his arms. When the other one had awoken, Glib quickly gurgled what had happened to his partner, along with a few sharp squeaks that sounded a lot like reprimands. Then their tentacles had knotted together and Owen had interrupted.

"Oi, can we get out of here before you start that?" Glib had deepened slightly, but Fall just laughed.

"Yes, and I apologize. I was fearful that you were trying to harm us. Humans have a rather poor reputation in the galaxy. The great polluters, abusers, murderers. You guys are heartless mindless monsters with archaic technology and a penchant to destroy." Owen flinched, while Tosh simply nodded.

"Many humans are like that. Indeed most are. But there are some of us, the informed, the kind, the unbiased. Torchwood's current goal is to protect earth, and help the wayward travelers that the Rift drops here." Owen popped in, quoting their illustrious captain.

"The 21st century is when everything changes, and it's up to Torchwood to be ready." Tosh smiled.

"So, Owen, I take it that everything is settled?" Owen nodded.

"I sedated the Hoix so they shouldn't be that much of a bother." Tosh stepped out of the cell latching the door behind them.

"These, creatures that you capture. Why them and not us." Tosh looked Fall in the eye stalks.

"The beings that are here have intentionally injured or killed humans. We try not to kill anything that we can save and relocate." The alien seemed to except this explanation.

"So, relocate, is this what you're doing with us?" Tosh nodded once.

"Yes, you are going to be taken to a habitat that is beneficial to you. Constituents of ours will be taking care of that." They inclined their eye-stalks again towards the technician.

"We are most grateful."


	38. Chapter 38: Color

Ianto and Jack sat for a moment in the car, still savoring each other's company. Jack turned in his seat, sincerity and hope filling his features.

"Ianto Jones, would you let me, what I want to ask is-" He swallowed, watching the mirth grow in the Welshman's eyes.

_ "Will you do me the honor of allowing me to move in with you?" _The Welshman was floored. He sat there for a moment, processing what had just been asked of him, before Ianto throwing his arms around his lover, enveloping him in a warm embrace.

"Jack Harkness, are you going domestic on me?" He raise an eyebrow playfully.

"Is that ok with you?" Jack said, more than a little nervous.

"It's more than I could have ever asked for." Jack beamed. His smile brightening the dim interior of the SUV. Jack started the car, pulling out of the winding drive.

"So, how soon do you want to move in?" The Archivist inquired head pressed against the window.

"Oh, I don't know, tonight I plan on ravishing a gorgeous Welshman, tomorrow is more of the same. When Is most convenient for you?" Ianto laughed.

"Well you're coming home with me tonight your gorgeous Welshman be damned." Ianto quipped playfully, and Jack chuckled.

"Is that an order?" Jack asked feigning shock. Ianto smiled softly, turning to face the Captain.

"Well, Captain, if you truly do intend to move in with me, you are going to have to obey my rules." Jack quirked an eyebrow, glancing incredulously at this Welshman.

"And what rules are these, Yan?" The Welshman shrugged.

"Don't make a mess, unless it's in the heat of the moment. Don't touch my suits unless it's to get them off. Clean up after yourself. Use a coaster. And, no matter what, do not touch my coffee machine. Ever." Jack grinned. A few moments passed, neither one speaking.

"These rules I think I can follow, but I have a few of my own." The turned onto Ianto's, no their, street.

"Really?" Ianto said, a smile gracing his lips.

"Yea, it's just one rule really. No matter what happenes. You come home to me." Ianto blinked, not expecting such a blunt and permissive statement.

"Jack, who else would I come home to. You're the only man I've ever loved." Jack parked the car, stepping out and, rushing around to open the door for his lover.

"And I intend to keep it that way." They walked arm in arm to stoop, the Welshman completely ignoring the curtain twitching neighbors. He opened the door, expecting Jack to drag him into the bedroom and have his wicked way with him, but that wasn't the case. He simply surveyed the room, taking in every detail. From the immaculately kept book case to the black curtained windows that covered the back wall. This was his home now, officially, as if it hadn't been for the length of his relationship with Ianto.

"Jack? Are you ok?" Ianto could feel the swirl of emotions pouring off of his lover, and wondered at what exactly the other man was thinking. Yet he couldn't bring himself to peer into his mind.

"I'm fine Yan. More than fine. I'm moving in with the love of my life." Ianto wrapped his arms around the other man's neck.

"A lot less time in your cramped bunker then." Jack placed his hands on his lovers hips.

"You do realize that the majority of your things are already here anyway, don't you?" Jack looked confused.

"What do you mean." Ianto pulled away. Red suit coat and black tie making their way onto the back of a chair as he pointed out the various items in the room.

"Your movies are in my cabinet. Your CD's on my shelf. A scrap of black fabric poked from under a table. Ianto bent to pick them up. "Your underwear under my end tables." He made his way into the bedroom, shirt unbuttoned as he went.

"Your clothes in my dresser, you didn't get a drawer Jack, you managed to surreptitiously take over entire pieces of furniture." Jack blushed slightly, tie loosening as he watched Ianto's seemingly unconscious strip tease.

"Your toothbrush on my sink, your shirt tossed haphazardly at the hamper." Ianto stopped, his own shirt flung into the hamper.

"You can see why I wanted to stay with Tosh after our fight. You're everywhere in this place." Jack shook his head. He hadn't realized how easy it had been to assimilate his life with that of this Welshman.

"Yan, why have you not pointed this out before?" The archivist shrugged.

"You didn't want a relationship. You had made that point clear. I didn't say anything because I didn't want you to think I was being pushy, forcing you to move in or anything." Ianto blushed again, the confession dredging up buried feelings of embarrassment. The Captain admired the rose colored stain spreading across the Welshman's chest, his ears, his cheeks.

"Yan really does look great in that color" Ianto smiled.

"Is that why you strive to embarrass me all the time?" Jack grinned, his eyes darkening slightly.


	39. Chapter 39: Good Night

Tosh was exhausted She had collapsed on to the couch in the HUB falling asleep near instantly. Owen smiled softly. She really was adorable. Hair in a little more than messy bun, glasses sliding slowly down her nose, over sized sweater bunched around her curled figure. Owen leaned against the wall savoring the sight. A soft groan caused Owen to start.

"Take a picture, it lasts longer." She murmured. Owen smirked.

"Yea, but it wouldn't do you any justice." Tosh rolled her eyes, scooting over on the sofa.

"Come on then." Owen looked at the technician, confused. She shook her head. "Get your skinny arse over here if you're coming." She gestured to the empty half of the couch.

"Tosh, as much as I would love to lie down with you, are you sure that you want to-" Tosh groaned flopping back on the pillow and sighing heavily.

"Owen I don't care that you're dead. I would rather you lie next to me here, then stand over there and stare at me like Batman over Gotham." Owen pushed off the wall, happy and more than a little touched. He crawled onto the couch beside her, sighing happily when she curled into his side, face resting on his chest. He pulled a blanket over the two of them.

"Night Tosh." He said, stroking her hair softly to lull her to sleep. Her soft snoring joined the gentle hum of the HUB as Owen let himself drift.


	40. Chapter 40: The Night

**Author's Note: This is it. My first sex scene. I apologize in advance for it. I suppose that I should warn you about the content, but I say that my writing is more worthy of the M.**

"Do you have a problem with that color?" Jack said, fingers tracing Ianto's Jaw as he gently kissed the Welshman's neck.

"Not really a problem with the color, per se." He slipped Jack's shirt from his shoulders.

"More what it takes for you to see me in it. I mean I did buy a shirt this color." Ianto said, running his fingers gently through the other man's hair.

"You did, though I have to say, it doesn't do as much as the flesh itself." Jack nipped lightly at the Welshman's neck, eliciting a moan from him.

"I can't argue with that logic. It's the same as you always wearing blue, but it never really-" Ianto paused, Jack's ministrations abruptly halting his thoughts.

"Never really what?" Jack asked, pulling away from Ianto to look him in the eye. Ianto ran a thumb gently under the other man's eye.

"Your eyes." Ianto kissed Jack then, soft and tender, tongues not fighting for dominance, as is their custom, but dancing graceful in the elegant waltz of passion. The melody of soft moans pacing the dance steps of fingers across skin as the lovers caressed away the pains and angers of life, replacing each one with a feeling of warmth and love. Ianto straddled his Captain's hips, their trousers preventing the skin on skin contact both men craved.

"Yan, are you sure that this is what you want?" The immortal inquired, anxiety and fear clouding around his lust and affection. Ianto cradled the other man's face in his hands, thumbs stroking cheeks as eyes bored into azure eyes.

"Captain Jack Harkness. You are my partner." Jack nodded slightly smiling nervously at Ianto. "I want nothing more than you right now." Ianto said, another kiss, this one more fierce, sending Jack sprawling across the bed.

"Partner huh? That's a title I could get used to." Jack said between kisses. Ianto held a finger to the other man's mouth. The finger traced first the immortal's lips, following their outline before trailing across his cheek. Jack shivered, the feather light touches across his overheated skin sending waves of sensation through his body. Ianto felt this too, his bond with the Captain linking him into each and every touch.

"You can feel this, can't you?" Jack panted, trailing his own fingers languidly across the sensitive skin of Ianto's back. "Everything I feel. The lust, the love, even the pleasure." Ianto nodded, his Captains words making his actions that much more erotic. "So when you take me. Here, tonight, you'll feel everything you give. Every wave of pleasure that rips through my body will shudder through yours as well." Ianto swallowed hard, his length throbbing painfully in its confines with every word that Jack rasped.

"Jack, if you plan on get your pants off, then you might wish to hold your tongue." Ianto, however, ignored his own advice, sliding down to run his tongue over Jack's chest, down the smooth plains to the waistband of his trousers. The immortal whimpered slightly as the solid weight of his lover pressed against him. Ianto teased and toyed with the tender exposed flesh of the immortal's hips. Jack tangled his fingers in the sheets of the bed he hadn't remembered moving to, writhing in vain against his lover. Ianto looked the immortal in the eyes, reading the passion and need in them. The Archivist moved his teeth down to the zip of his Captains trousers, unfastening them in one swift movement. His chin grazed the solid surface of his lovers passion in the process, causing both men to shiver with need.

"Yan, stop teasing me, and get on with it." Jack barked, as the Welshman continued his tongue and tooth taunting, ignoring the now blatantly obvious need the immortal had. Jack growled once more in agitated pleasure, as those selfsame teeth grazed his length, the tongue soothing the skin behind it. In one swift movement the Welshman devoured his lover to the root, causing the captain to gasp at the sudden warmth. Ianto wanted to draw this out, he wanted to show his lover exactly what his bid for domesticity would earn him, but the intensity of his own need was only amplified by Jack's desire pouring out to him. Jack curled his fingers desperately into Ianto's once immaculate hair, mussing it with every sensation that poured through him. The archivist hollowed his cheeks and hummed, driving the immortal over the edge of oblivion.

Jack panted, his lungs allowing no passionate exclamation as he poured himself into the willing mouth of his lover. The Welshman, gasped, sharing Jack's vision of stars, but not his release. The immortal looked down his chest at Ianto, the Welshman's near black eyes, wild hair, and panting lips stirring once again the desire in him. He wanted Ianto to claim him. To take him as his own. The immortal fumbled beside him, pawing open the bedside table and extracting the items required for him to get his wish. Ianto saw the frantic attempt to relay Jack's message and obliged. Two sets of trousers were hastily dismissed, as well as a pair of pants. Jack couldn't force enough air into his lungs to speak, yet Ianto felt what was needed. Confirmation. Jack wanted to prove to Ianto that he was giving himself to the Welshman, in the best way he could, by letting Ianto have him fully.

Ianto pressed a butterfly kiss to Jack's entrance, before inserting a lube covered finger. Jack tensed, the invading digit something he had long grown unaccustomed to. The immortal relaxed around it, gesturing for Ianto to continue. A second finger joined the first, causing a loud moan to escape the immortals lips. Ianto slowly moved the digits, scissoring them slightly, preparing his lover for himself. A third digit joined the first two, quickly reducing Jack to a pleading quivering mass.

"Yan." He rasped, unnecessarily. Ianto was a step ahead. Prepping himself messily with one hand while pleasuring Jack with the other. Jack spread his legs wide, wrapping them around the Welshman agilely, a pillow slipping beneath his hips. Ianto readied himself at his lovers entrance. Looking to Jack for permission. The barest of nods was more than was needed. The Archivist slowly pushed his length into his lover, straining against the warmth and tightness. Jack gasped, panting heavily as his body rushed to adjust to the sudden fullness. Ianto could feel the mixture of pain and pleasure swirling through his lover, his own arousal begging for release. He held still though, battling himself for the sake of the man that he loved.

Jack bucked against Ianto's hips, begging for movement. The Welshman obliged, moving slowly at first, measured strokes to further adjust his lover. Jack growled impatiently. He picked up the pace himself, impaling himself against every thrust, speeding the Welshman further. Ianto caught the hint, fingers digging into hips as he bent over his lovers chest, every thrust deep and well placed, swiftly pulling both men to a climax.

Jack pushed himself up slightly, kissing Ianto fiercely, their tongues battling for dominance The sudden change in angle enough to push him over the edge. He gasped his lover's name as he collapsed back onto the bed, the Welshman following near instantly behind him. Ianto fell onto Jack's chest, both shaking, muscles constricting as they rode the waves of their orgasms. They laid there together, sweaty, sticky, half asleep, and wrapped in each other's arms. Jack glanced down at his chest, seeing his Ianto nearly asleep. He placed a hand gently on Ianto's cheek.

"Sleep well, Yan. And Thank you." Ianto smiled softly, unable to speak, but sending one last message to the immortal before exhaustion claimed them both.

_"I love you Jack."_


	41. Chapter 41: The Morning After

Tosh awoke, still wrapped in Owen's arms. He had watched her sleep throughout the night, for the first time not hating the fact that he can never again sleep. She sighed contentedly, the warm blanket above her and the residually warmed arms of her dead man cozy and comforting. Owen wanted to great her good morning, but the fact the she was just lying there, snuggled up to him, was enough of an incentive to remain silent. He simply hugged her tighter smiling as she wriggled every deeper into his embrace. Her eyes flickered open, peering strait into his.

"Morning Tosh." He whispered quietly. Tosh wrapped her hands around his neck, pecking his lips softly.

" Morning Owen." She sat upon the couch, stretching languidly.

"Sleep well?" Owen asked casually, his eyes lingering on the technician.

"Wonderfully." She purred. Owen grinned, glancing at the clock, 7:30.

"UNIT will be here in two hours. That give you enough time to get ready?" Tosh smiled at him.

"Plenty. I would ask you to join me, but someone needs to be here, and I doubt the boys will be in until later, if at all." Owen nodded. He really couldn't be mad at them. They have had a hell of a rough patch, and they needed to get themselves together.

"Tea-boy will probably drag the captain in here before UNIT shows up, he's good like that." Tosh giggled, pulling on her discarded glasses and shoes. Owen tossed her his car keys.

"Take mine, I notice one of your tires was low yesterday. I'll air it up while you're out. Tosh nodded, touched by the level of concern. She kissed the dead man goodbye, before dashing out the HUB door.

Jack was the first to wake up, shifting slightly under the weight of his lover, he was shocked, and more than a little pleased, to feel Ianto still filling him, long after they succumbed to their passions. He surveyed the damage, noting the level of disarray their foray into the pleasures of the flesh had left behind.

The captain's clothes were everywhere, an article on each piece of furniture. His and Ianto's trousers were pooled on the floor, next to a spilled bottle of lube. The sheets that had once neatly covered the bed, where now bunched around them, uprooted by Jack's frantic grasping.

Ianto too, was irrevocably disheveled. His hair laid, half plastered and half spiked on top of his head, his lips were parted and chapped. The sight of the usually impeccably made up Welshman made Jack's heart stir. Jack turned his head slightly, still unwilling to disturb the sleeping Welshman. He peered at the clock, noting the time. 7:45. Ianto would want them at work sometime today, probably before UNIT showed up. The immortal sighed. If they got up now, there would be enough time for him to cook Ianto breakfast.

The Captain ran his fingers gently through Ianto's hair, drawing a soft sigh from the Archivist. His fingers trailed across Ianto's cheek, every pattern of protection he could conjure from memory trailing their way over the skin. Ianto shifted slightly, snuggling deeper into Jack's chest, before his eyes fluttered open. Jack smirked as Ianto slowly pieced together the fragments of last night to the evidence of the morning. Last night had been the first time Ianto had topped since Jack's return, and then it was only his second. The fact that he had fallen asleep inside his lover had apparently been even more shocking to Ianto than it had been to Jack.

"Good morning sleepy head." Jack purred. Ianto smiled softly, his fingers running through his hair. The Archivist wanted to remove himself, but the contented pleasure surrounding Jack convinced him otherwise. The Welshman tilted his head up, gazing lovingly into his partners eyes.

"Morning Jack. What time is it?" Jack shrugged, unwilling to break the spell Ianto's gaze cast over him.

"Not yet 8. Don't really care." Ianto rolled his eyes pushing himself up off of Jack. He rolled over, onto his back, completely removing his contact with his lover. The immortal pouted, the loss of contact leaving him feeling empty, and cold. Ianto too shared the Captain's feelings, but knew that the day would be a long one, and that he need to get it started.

"Besides, I need a shower." Ianto grumbled. Jack nodded.

"_Can I join you?"_ Ianto laughed, shaking his head.

"Yes, but just to bathe, yea? I actually want to make it to work today." Jack pouted, but nodded his head acceptingly.

"Fine." The two men rolled out of bed, Ianto stretching out the kinks in his spine, while Jack tried to grow accustom to the soreness in his core. Ianto noticed the stiff way the captain was moving, and stifled a laugh.

"Having some trouble there, sir?" Jack scrunched his nose at his lover.

"Not trouble, per se, just a little sore is all." Ianto shook his head again, before wrapping an arm around the Captain's waist. "I don't remember this being so bad in the past."

"You get used to it, sir." Jack glanced at his lover, alarmed. Was this how Ianto felt?

"Yan, I had no idea." Ianto chuckled turning on the water in the shower.

"It's not a bad pain Jack. It reminds me of what I have. Who I belong to." Ianto shrugged, and Jack's heart twisted again.

"You're doing it again, Yan." Ianto looked at his Captain quizzically.

"Being perfect without trying?" Ianto smiled. The two men stood together under the warm spray of water, cleansing the grime of the previous day away, hands lathering each other's body companionably, not erotically. Both men knew that there would be time for that later.

Tosh drove home quickly, thankful for the light traffic and the fare weather of the morning. She dashed into her home, the door slamming behind her. She wanted to get back to the HUB quickly, not liking that Owen was there alone, less something should happen. She showered quickly, opting against styling her hair for just toweling it dry and leaving it to curl. She skidded into her bedroom pulling outfit after outfit from her closet in her quest for the right one. A soft violet dress that hugged her slender frame, without constricting her movement lest she have to go into the field. A pair of black kitten heels and a matching black sweater completing her ensemble. She quickly checked herself in the mirror, forgoing heavy makeup for touch of lip gloss and some mascara. She dashed into her kitchen snatching a bagel and power drink from the fridge before rushing out the door of her flat.

Owen wandered around the HUB, picking up anything out of place and cleaning off his desk. A part of him kept screaming that it was Tea-Boy's job, yet he continued to work, an unknown source of inspiration powering his actions. No, not unknown. Tosh had shifted his whole perception of the day. HE felt a renewed vigor that he usually only felt the morning after mind blowing sex. Yet there had been no sex. He and Tosh had simply hung out, and cuddled. He had ended up in bed with her, yet even then she had only slept. He had lost track of time watching her. The doctor knew that, if his heart had been capable of beating, it would race in her presence, and clench at her every move. He had somehow fallen in love with the Technician, despite the fact that such a thing should physiologically be impossible.

Ianto toweled himself off swiftly, his hair curling in the way that Jack found absolutely irresistible. The Welshman grinned at him, wrapping the towel around his waist as he stepped into his closet. Out of habit, he pulled down a suit, yet something brought him to a halt. He glanced back over his shoulder, to see Jack bent over the drawer of the dresser, his wet hair slicked back as he scrounged out his usual outfit. The Archivist smiled. The Captain deserved a treat. He kicked shut the closet door. What he was about to do, Jack would see soon enough.

Jack dressed swiftly, ignoring the ache of his muscles. He briefly wondered if his usually oh-so-fast healing had somehow disappeared, but he surmised that he was in fact healing normally. That it was probably worse for someone who couldn't heal as quickly as him worried him greatly. He walked into the kitchen, planning on treating his Welshman with a big morning breakfast. One glance in the fridge, however, put that idea off entirely. Nearly everything in there had spoiled, the bread on the counter was stale, and the majority of the foods in the cupboards were out of date.

The immortal snorted. Leave it to Ianto to work so much that he is never home to eat. The Captain stopped himself there. Guilt knotted itself in his stomach as he realized that part of the reason Ianto was never home was that he had been keeping the Archivist overnight at the HUB, or, when they were at home, he would rush out first thing in the morning to beat everyone else to the HUB, so as not to arouse suspicion of his activities with the Welshman. Jack bit his lip. He really had been a rubbish partner in all of this. He groaned, doubling over the counter, his head in his hands.

"Ianto really must be a saint to put up with me."

"I'm not a saint Jack, I'm far from it. Though it does take a bit of work to put up with you sometimes, it's worth it in the end." Jack jumped up from the counter, wincing at the dull pain the movement caused. The sight before him put all thoughts of pain or pity aside. Ianto was not in a suit this morning. Instead, the usually business like Welshman was in a tight pair of dark grey jeans, that hugged him tightly without being obscene. A tight grey V-neck T-shirt allowed a tuft of dark curls to peep from above the collar. Ianto's hair was lightly combed, yet he let it curl of its own volition instead of his usual tamed style. The Welshman tugged on a black leather jacket, obviously pulled from his preforming wardrobe. Jack couldn't believe his eyes.

"Jack, are you ok? You look a bit dazed." The Welshman smirked, obviously enjoying the Captain's reaction.

"Ianto, you're not, I mean that isn't, you're not in a suit." Ianto chuckled inwardly, but feigned disappointment.

"Do you want me to go change?" Jack's eyes widened in horror.

"NO! No, you look fantastic, it's just, I've only seen you dress like that in pictures, you know." The Welshman nodded.

"On stage. Yes well, this is a bit more mild then my usual stage fare, but it's from the same wardrobe. By the way, you never mentioned knowing about that." Ianto leaned against the kitchen counter, his face mere inches from Jack's on the other side.

"You never mentioned being in a band." The Welshman shrugged, kissing Jack lightly before pulling back.

"You never asked." Jack opened his mouth to defend himself, but realized that the statement had held no malice. Ianto wasn't mad. "However, now that you do know about my night job, I would like to know what you think." Jack grinned.

"Well the music is amazing. You are amazing. Your voice is deep and melodic, your range perfectly tailored to the music. As for your stage presence, well, frankly the only other time you look that amazing is when your panting and sweating beneath me." Jack paused, the memory of the night before flooding his thoughts. "Or above me for that matter." Ianto rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway. "So over all I have to say, I'm a big fan." Ianto laughed glancing through his cd case to pull out a cd. Still wrapped in cellophane Ianto handed Jack a copy of his band's latest CD.

"Synesthesia. There. Only copy to be handed out by the lead singer." Ianto winked and Jack grinned, hugging the CD over his heart.

"You know that this will be the only thing playing in the SUV from now on right?" Ianto sighed.

"And you know that I'm going to get awfully tired of hearing myself sing, right?" Jack shrugged, pulling on his RAF jacket and opening the door.

"You gave me the CD." The Welshman groaned, heading out the door, the immortal closing and locking it behind him.

"So, anyway, what do you want for breakfast?" Jack asked, and Ianto smiled softly, that was a new question.

"What brings this on then?" Jack shrugged.

"I was going to make you breakfast, but seeing the state of your food supplies, I decided against it." The Welshman grimaced, getting into the SUV.

"Yea, I really need to do some shopping." The captain nodded looking forlornly at the open drivers side of the SUV. Ianto laughed again, feeling Jack's conundrum.

"Come on Jack, if I can put up with it so can you." Jack frowned, but got into the SUV anyway, hissing as he went. Ianto shook his head.

"If this is your reaction after so long a time, maybe I need to top more often." Jack's eyes lit up, and he leered at the Welshman.

"Is that a promise?" Ianto rolled his eyes, trying desperately to ignore the stirring in his stomach at the thought.

"Breakfast. All right, well, considering the fact that we barely have 45 minutes until UNIT will be at the HUB, I say we go ahead and park there, and grab a pastry from the Plass. We can have a big lunch later." Jack nodded, popping in his new CD as they drove down the road. Ianto groaned, this really would be a long day.

Tosh had made it back to the HUB in record time. She entered the Hub to catch Owen picking up trash from the floor of the HUB.

"Owen Harper, actually cleaning? It must be a portent of the end times." Owen shot Tosh a warning glare, then rolled his eyes and smiled at her.

"That was quick Tosh, what did you do, fly?" Tosh shrugged.

"Didn't bother with dressing up." Owen looked the technician over, admiring the minimalistic makeup and natural hair.

"You never need to." He muttered. Tosh blushed slightly, catching the sentiment. Her phone rang.

"Hello?" She asked, not expecting a phone call.

"Hey, Tosh, I just thought I'd call ahead. I'll be in in a few minutes." It was Gwen, what was she doing back from her honey moon? Tosh dashed over to her calendar, mortified to find the date marked as the date of Gwen's return.

"Ok then, UNIT will be here at 9:30." Tosh stated cautiously. Owen mouthed his question on who it was, and Tosh's reply earned wide eyes and his own dash to a similar calendar.

"I'll catch up when I get there." The phone line went down and Owen and Tosh shared equal looks of horror. How would Gwen react to Jack and Ianto not being here?

Ianto and Jack walked side by side across the Plass to the little bakery that Jack favored. Jack kept bumping his arm into Ianto, annoying the Welshman greatly.

"Jack, what do you want?" He asked, irritated.

"Hold my hand?" Ianto blushed slightly. He was never one on public displays of affection. His train of thought was abruptly put to rest when a blonde man stumbled, huffing into his path.

"Hey there gorgeous." Ianto reeled back, he felt the desperation and lust pouring off this man, and the anger and jealousy from his lover. The mixture was revolting.

"Listen I know the other night at the bar I may have been a little pushy." Ianto snorted.

"A little. You practically tried to force your way home with me." More anger from Jack.

"Yea, I know, I'm sorry, but listen, I-" Jack coughed slightly and the man looked up, seemingly noticing the immortal for the first time.

"Who are you?" the blonde man asked, cockily. "The one who had beautiful over here crying into his drink?" Jack was seething now, even without empathy Ianto could have felt it. Jack leaned into the Blonde man menacingly.

"I'm his boyfriend. And I suggest you back off, otherwise you'll have more than a busted noes to deal with." As if to accentuate his point Jack poked the man's chest. Ianto eyed his handiwork from a few nights before, feeling no remorse for inflicting the injury. The blonde man shrank from Jack's gaze.

"Boyfriend huh? Well gorgeous when you tire of this prick call me." The man tossed a card swiftly at Ianto, who snatched it out of the air. The Welshman offered his hand to Jack, who took it in his and strode purposefully forward. Ianto grinned madly tossing the offending card behind him.

"Boyfriend huh?" Jack slowed his pace, glancing over at Ianto.

"Well yea, why, don't care for that title?" The Welshman kissed his immortal lightly, weaving their fingers together ever tighter.

"On the contrary." And he wasn't lying. The fact that Jack was publicly acknowledging him as his boyfriend warmed him greatly. They entered the little bakery, each ordering a pastry to go before striding back to the Hub, hand in hand.


	42. Chapter 42: Cooper Conundrum

Gwen Cooper walked into the Hub after her honeymoon expecting to be greeted at the door by her Captain. Instead she caught a very happy looking Tosh chatting with an equally as happy looking Owen, and no one else. She strode over to her desk, expecting the usually so punctual Tea-Boy to appear from thin air and hand her a mug of coffee, yet he didn't appear. This worried her, nearly as much as it made her mad. Tosh noticed Gwen's presence first, turning her smile on the Welshwoman.

"Gwen!" She rushed over and hugged her.

"How was your honeymoon? Did you have fun?" Gwen scanned the HUB for any sign of Jack, before answering the question.

"Yea, it was great. Where is Jack?" Tosh and Owen shared an apprehensive glance, about to inform her of the week's happenings when the Invisible lift started to descend. Three pairs of jaws fell at the sight before them. Jack was trying to feed someone a bite of pastry, while said man was vehemently declining it, a grin plastered on his face. None of the other team members recognized the man until he stepped off the lift and his grin faded. The three team members let out a collective gasp, before shouting in unison.

"Ianto?"

Ianto's grin faded when he caught site of Gwen, much the cause of heart ache for the Welshman. The exclamation of shock reverberating through his skull did nothing to help matters.

"Yes, Ianto, who else did you expect?" He said flatly, all business once more. He headed for the kitchenette, bent on making some coffee and establishing some sense of normalcy. The team stared after him, unsure of what to do. Tosh was worried about Gwen making a scene. While Owen was worried about Ianto's well being, him not being in a suit and all. Gwen was frantic, she had no idea what was going on, and the fact that Jack had showed up with the Archivist sent her mind reeling with possibilities. Jack was staring after him, feeling his happy Welshman fading back under the callous mask that had his him for so long.

Jack wanted to go after Ianto, to hug him and reassure him, but the phone ringing put an end to that. Tosh answered it and mouthed UNIT to Jack.

"I'll take it in my office." HE said curtly. He stormed up to his office, checking his calendar for an explanation of Gwen's appearance. He saw the date and cursed himself for letting Ianto back today. He had only just coaxed the Archivist out of his shell and back into his arms. The last thing that he needed was Gwen wedging herself between them. He picked up the phone.

"Captain Jack Harkness." He barked, all charm dispersed.

"Captain Harkness. This is Lieutenant Moira Ulrich we are en route to your location for the pickup of the E.T's you captured yesterday. It is my understanding that you wish to have them delivered to the Mediterranean sea in full diplomatic proceedings. Are these creatures sentient?" Jack groaned inwardly.

"Yes ma'am. They are sentient, peaceable beings that are under our full protection. I want them delivered as quickly and sociably as possible. They are in no way to be harmed or ill-treated by any of your men. They are not prisoners, they are refugees and I expect them to be treated with such respect." Gwen stepped into the office, arms across her chest and face red with fury.

"Understood Captain. I will personally see to their treatment." Jack sighed.

"Thank you lieutenant. I will see you within the hour." He hung up the phone, to have Gwen close the door behind her.

Ianto leaned heavily against the counter of the kitchenette, the feelings of his team mates over whelming him. He tried desperately to tune it all out, to just focus on the task at hand, and not feel those around him. But he kept hearing it. Tosh's pity, Owen's sadness and confusion. Gwen's anger and jealousy burned through his core, causing him to gasp for breath. Jack must have felt it too, as he clutched his chest and glared menacingly at Gwen. The immortal sent a thought to his lover, trying to help him cope with flood of emotion.

_ "Yan I am so sorry. I should have remembered Gwen would be back today." _ Ianto felt the pain subside as Jack poured comfort and support to him through their unique bond. The Welshman took a deep breath, focusing on blocking out first Tosh, then Owen. Gwen he couldn't quite squash.

_"Deal with Gwen, I'll be ok."_ he sent, and continued on with his chore. Jack faced Gwen fully, staring her in the eye.

"What the hell is going on around here Jack?" Gwen screamed. Jack looked her coldly in the eye.

"UNIT is coming in about 30 minutes to collect some alien visitors from us." Gwen gritted her teeth

"Not what I meant Jack. What the hell happened while I was gone." Jack shrugged.

"We chased some weevils, met some alien refugees." Gwen slammed her palms down on the desk.

"Tell me the truth Jack. Tell me everything." Jack was furious now, but he kept it carefully in check. Ianto would feel it, and he would be in a enough pain as it is.

"You want everything P.C. Cooper? Here's everything. Ianto and I broke up. He dumped me days after your wedding." Gwen's eyes grew wide, but the slight smile in them made Jack's skin crawl.

"Ianto stormed off and stayed with Tosh, I tried and failed to commit suicide." Jack stated this flatly, relishing the wince it received from Gwen. "The next day I was hell bent on winning him back, and I never got the chance. He had been kidnapped." Gwen shifted in her seat. She never wished anything bad on the Welshman. "John Hart had snuck into the HUB, snatched Ianto, and carted him off." At the mention of Hart Gwen's anger deflated. That man was bad news. "He wanted Ianto to go with him. Tried everything in his power to convince Ianto to choose him over me." Gwen muttered mentally.

_Figures, Ianto gets kidnapped by another attractive man who wants him to warm his bed._

"Hart brought to my attention just how much I loved Ianto, and how much I needed him."

Gwen folded. _Love?_ She couldn't compete with that. She had never thought that Jack and the Tea-boy were serious. She wanted Jack to stop, to let her limp away, but she had asked for everything, and she was going to get it.

"Ianto chose me. After all the shit I put him through, he still chose me. And I'm not wasting my second chance Gwen." He held her gaze, driving yet another tough point home. "I took him out to dinner last night. A very romantic date. I asked to move in with him." Gwen's throat closed.

_Move in with him? What was the Captain thinking?_

"He said yes Gwen. Then, since you really want to know everything that happened, we went home, and he fucked me. But it wasn't just a shag Gwen, it never has been. I love Ianto, so this." He gestured between the two of them.

"This is over, the flirting, the touching. You're married now Gwen. You're married, I'm living with the man I love. End of it." An alarm through the HUB relayed the arrival of UNIT.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."


	43. Chapter 43: Puzzle Pieces

Jack had blocked the entirety of his conversation with Gwen from Ianto, not wanting to let him feel the anger in his heart. The immortal walked out of his office, leaving the Welshwoman to sit and stew. Maybe he had been a little harsh with her, but he had felt Ianto's reaction to the anger she sent him. Something had to have been done. His lover met him at the bottom of the stairs, slightly paler than usual, but otherwise showing no physical effects. The Archivist handed his Captain his coffee before stealing a quick kiss and spinning away, back to work. Jack smiled softly. He could really get used to this whole relationship thing.

Tosh watched the Welshman surreptitiously. Something was different with him, his sense of fashion aside. He had come in this morning so different. Smiling and laughing and utterly happy. One look at Gwen and his entire countenance had crumbled. He had retreated back into his oh so familiar shell. She had watched him in the kitchenette, so unfocused and obviously pained that she had nearly called Owen in to check on him. She had seen the look of agony on the Welshman's face when the all heard Gwen start ranting. It was almost as if he could feel all of her anger directed at him, searing through him like a knife. Then she saw him shut down, lips forming words subconsciously. She saw color return to his cheeks slightly, though not near enough for him to look healthy, and he made the coffee for the day.

Tosh ran the footage of Ianto through the HUB's translation software, knowing that it would read his lips. The results were in Welsh, but a quick conversion showed that he appeared to be having a conversation with Jack. Her brow furrowed. She knew Ianto wasn't taking to himself, In truth he hadn't been talking at all. She pulled up the CCTV footage of Jack's office muting it. She saw Jack's reaction to Gwen's wrath. The glare hadn't been his usual, it had been the same one he gave anyone who dared to harm Ianto. She saw his eyes close briefly, the faintest quiver of his lips and then his cold and calculated conversation with Gwen unfolded.

"Spying on the boss, eh Tosh?" Owen said, and the technician jumped.

"Owen, do you believe in Telepathy?" Owen looked her over surreptitiously.

"Well, yes. Torchwood London was working on harnessing the telepathic and empathic powers of humans right before it fell. Why?" Tosh spun around in her chair, typing furiously at her keyboard. She pulled up Ianto's health records from Torchwood London. She dug through them, Hacking through layer after layer of top-secret encryptions, down to his first evaluation. What she found not only confirmed her suspicions, but also deepened her hatred of the facility.

"19 year old test subject, Ianto Jones, #131909, shows all the markers of an empathy, yet after extensive testing and experimentation, he has yet to respond. Three neuro-electic stimulation procedures have been performed, yet 131909 still refuses to admit to any empathetic feelings. Subject has been deemed a case study failure. RETCONN was administered to remove the details of his examination. 131909 was told that he was tested, and that he failed. Higher authorities have decided to hire him on at Torchwood London's offices as a Junior Researcher, so as to monitor him for any signs of maturing empathic powers." Tosh saved the page, before closing it and looking over at the dead man.

"Tosh, do you know what that procedure is?" The dead man's voice was monotone, yet his eyes were burning." Tosh shook her head. "They cut the base of the skull, insert electrodes into the brain stem, and shock it. All while the subject is awake." Tosh wanted to scream.

"But that said they did it 3 times. Owen, Ianto doesn't remember any of it." Owen nodded.

"The RETCONN Torchwood London would have used, it was nicknamed reset. A large enough dosage could complete erase everything from a person's mind. The fact that Tea-boy is not only fully functioning after that procedure is one thing, it had a bad habit of turning people into vegetables. But that procedure 3 times, and reset, Ianto shouldn't be alive, let alone fully functioning." They both gazed at the Welshman, who met, Owen noted , the very stiff moving Captain at the bottom of the stairs. They both witnessed the kiss and coffee hand over, and looked at each other quizzically, Ianto hated PDA. The Welshman moved swiftly over to them, tray of coffee in hand. Owen consciously pushed down his emotions knowing that Ianto could most likely feel them.

"So, Tea-boy, care to explain why the Captain looks like he's walking with a stick up is ass?" Owen quipped, curiously. Ianto rolled his eyes.  
"Probably because he had one last night." Owen grimaced and Tosh nearly choked on her coffee. Ianto grabbed a thermos off the tray, walking away swiftly. He didn't care for the mixture of shock and pity pouring off the pair.


	44. Chapter 44: UNIT

Ianto joined Jack and their guests in the cells. Apparently the immortal was in the middle of a heated discussion with the aliens, the topic of which had both species blushing. The Welshman coughed.

"Am I, err, interrupting anything?" Jack's blush deepened. One of the creatures- he had heard Tosh refer to it as Glib- seemed to find the immortal's reaction funny.

"Your partner was just discussing with us recent developments. It appears that this, UNIT you have been speaking of, have they arrived for us?" Ianto nodded, trying to ignore the innuendo lacing the aliens words.

"Yes, they're readying your transport now. I brought you some coffee to go." Ianto held up the mug, shaking it lightly in the aliens' direction. A tentacle wrapped around the container, deftly removing it from the Welshman's grasp. Three UNIT soldiers entered the cell block, each one with guns at the ready. Ianto and Jack shared an equally as furtive glance as a short woman in tottering heels marched into the room.

"Captain Harkness I presume." She said, a thin smile crossing her features. Jack stood up straighter, his posture rigid and unforgiving.

"You must be lieutenant Ulrich." He said, voice not echoing her charm. Ianto bristled, regretting his choice not to wear a suit. He felt naked, vulnerable without his self-imposed uniform, amongst these types. The blonde woman nodded, her eyes wandering openly, first over the Captain, then over his lover. Ianto could feel the lust and power hunger pouring from the woman, it made him nauseous.

"These are the fully sentient creatures that you require full diplomatic transport for?" The lieutenant inquired, incredulous. Jack bristled.

"Yes. They're names do not translate into any recognizable languages, so we have taken to calling them Glib and Fall." The aliens laughed at this, the gurgling sound startling the soldiers.

"Don't mind that, we've come to associate that with laughter." Ianto said, forcing himself to be pleasant, even charming. The lieutenant flashed him what he assumed was her most attractive smile. He felt the bile rise in his throat.

"They are capable of humor?" The speakers on the translator crackled to life.

"Yes we are capable of humor, and anger, and pain, and love, and kindness. Manners too, though it appears that is something not all humans are taught." Ianto smiled then. The sarcasm brought the cocky lieutenant down a notch, while buoying the Captains flagging spirits.

"And sarcasm, great." She muttered. A wave of her hands brought two guards behind the creatures, guns at the ready. The third faced them menacingly.

"You are now under the custody of her majesty the Queen of England, and by extension the powers of UNIT. Any act of violence or perceived violent intention will result in your immediate restraint and plausible termination." The soldier spun around, heels clicking as he completed his recitation. Ianto rolled his eyes, apparently Jack caught the gesture and smiled at him, a companionable warmth flowing between them. The tottering lieutenant approached the creatures, her speech much slower and more clipped than necessary.

"We have been informed that you are fully sentient creatures seeking diplomatic asylum. There for you are not to be considered prisoners of the crown, but guests." She rolled this last word as though it were some sort of joke. Jack cleared his throat.

"My associate, Mr. Jones, will be escorting your party to the garage." Ianto nodded,

_"Don't think you can manage it sir?"_ Jack smiled slightly, the faintest of twitches at the corner of his mouth.

_"The last thing I need is Martha taunting me over how well the Tea-boy shagged me."_ Ianto frowned, he didn't feel any malice with the comment, but a hint of embarrassment poisoned the moment, a slender finger of cold seeping into the warmth they had been sharing.

"Shall we go then, lieutenant." Ianto said, gesturing forward.

"You lead." She commanded, leering suggestively. Again he cursed himself for not wearing his suit.

He felt the UNIT soldiers ogling him from behind, and he suppressed a shudder. The Welshman loathed unwelcome attention, the likes of which he was receiving now. The archivist tuned it out the best he could manage, focusing on the task at hand. The feelings of pity and pride from Owen and Tosh were minuscule, the anger, guilt, and hatred from Gwen palpable. The only person that he couldn't feel was Jack, who disconcerted him, but it was probably for the best. He had enough to worry about, he didn't need Jack's being embarrassed of him added the mix.


	45. Chapter 45: Hurt

Jack could have shot himself right then and there. He flailed around the room pounding his fist against the door of the cell, earning a startled cry from the previously resting Hoix. The immortal had worked so hard to win Ianto back, to convince him that he was worth it, that the Welshman meant something to him. He had been doing so well! And then one slip of thought, one rush of embarrassment, and the Welshman was gone. Jack blocked himself from his lover, not wanting to add to the emotional turmoil that he knew the Welshman would be experiencing now. Yet shutting off that link was painful, nearly crippling. It was as though he had torn away a chunk of himself, and tossed it aside. Jack scrambled up the stairs, just in time to see Ianto and the platoon of UNIT drones descend on the lift to the underside of Torchwood. Owen materialized beside him, a supporting hand on his arm.

"You know breaking a bond with an Empath is really very bad for your health right?" the Captain jerked back.

"What the hell are you talking about." Owen rolled his eyes at the Captain.

"Ianto is in Empath right? And you are the person closest to him. He obviously would have had a sort of emotional bond with you, likened it to being that you didn't hurt him, or maybe he could even communicate with you, telepathically." Jack reeled away, staring at the doctor in horror.

"How could you possibly know all that?" Jack growled. Instantly defensive. Owen looked over at Tosh, who gestured for the dead man to continue.

"We noticed his behavior, looked up his records, and then researched the topic a bit." Jack froze, feeling the miserable pain echoing his suddenly hollow insides. His legs felt unsteady, his head light "Jack, you need to reconnect yourself to him quickly. You really don't look that good." Jack slumped against the railing focusing back in on Ianto, concentrating on sending strength and warmth, trying desperately to erase any doubt in his lovers mind.


	46. Chapter 46: Is That a Promise

Ianto settled the two aliens into the cushioned back of the van, Glib clutching the mug of coffee tightly. Tapped the side of the thermos, a soft red light illuminating it. He whispered fervently to them.

"I don't trust UNIT to take you where you need to be. I'll be tracking you both." He glanced behind him, seeing the two UNIT soldiers conversing together.

"If they give you any trouble, open the lid and press the button. It's a distress beacon." Glib nodded and Fall lightened slightly.

"Thank you Ianto Jones. We are most grateful for your kindness. I only hope your partner treats you as well as you've treated us." Ianto smiled, stretching out with his feelings to try and find his lover. Instead he was met with emptiness, a hollow cold that made his whole body ache.

"Take care of yourselves, yea?" Fall knotted his tentacles around Glib protectively.

"We will take care of each other, as you take care of yours." Ianto blinked, worrying his lip slightly.

"Alright then, goodbye Glib, Fall." He nodded at them in turn before ducking out of the van. All the Archivist wanted to do was go and talk to Jack, but the short blonde in the tottering heels stood before him, an expression of absolute hunger crossing her face. She eyed him openly, suggestively, and Ianto's stomach churned at the waves of desire flowing off of her.

"So, Mr. Jones, I see Captain Harkness' call-back tone wasn't lying, you really are gorgeous" Ianto pressed his lips together firmly, suppressing an eye roll.

"Oh? I may need to have a chat with him about that then." Ianto backed around the woman, her gaze never leaving his. Ianto nearly stumbled, feelings of warmth and strength pouring over him through his once empty bond. The woman's grin grew wider.

"I've also heard that your coffee is to die for." Ianto turned walking away from the woman. He really hoped Jack could feel how uncomfortable he was.

Jack could indeed. He shivered, Owen gripping his arm lightly as he tottered forward, a renewed strength filling him, warming him. Owen looked at jack, concerned.

"Jack, what's wrong?" The Captain ignored him, rushing over to the lift. Owen looked over at Tosh.

"Wonder what trouble Tea-boy is in to get Jack that riled.

"So are you shagging him, or is it a relationship." She taunted, wanting a reaction from the delectable Welshman. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Ex-Excuse me?" He spun on his heels, posture rigid.

"Or he could be shagging you. Either way it has to be casual. Harkness doesn't do relationships." By now Ianto was fuming. Who was this woman to come and question him like this, to try and pry the latest gossip from him. Ianto wanted to rail at her. To scream that Jack was his boyfriend, that they were living together, but then he remembered the embarrassment that he felt slip through the immortal's barriers at the thought of UNIT finding out. Ianto looked the woman strait in the eye, keeping his mouth shut against the truths he wanted to spew.

"Oh, so there is something there then. Interesting. I can see why, power is attractive, and Jack does seem to be very powerful." The lieutenant tottered up to Ianto, her chest a mere breath from his, her fingers ghosting across his arm. Ianto stood, giving no reaction to her words.

"Do you find power attractive, Mr. Jones?" she wrapped a slender finger around his tie forcing him to look down. "I have a whole army at my fingertips. I'm just a few ranks away from running UNIT. What does your Captain have, hmm? A few alien gadgets?" Ianto was seething now, anger rolling off of him in waves. Anger at her for question Jack, for being so pretentious. Anger at Jack for not letting him speak. Anger at himself for not speaking. The woman tugged harder on his tie. "Nothing to say, coffee boy?" She leaned forward her lips ghosting over his. "What does Jack have that I don't." That presence, that strong and reassuring wall behind his thoughts.

"Well for one thing, him for a boyfriend." The lieutenant rocked back on her heels, stepping away from Ianto and turning to Jack, venom in her words.

"A relationship with Captain Jack Harkness? That must be some amazing coffee." She licked her lips slightly, and Ianto wanted to hurl. This was turning the sadistic woman on?

"Aside from that, great hair, classic fashion taste, a penis." Ianto cringed inwardly at the last point. Jack could be so crude at times. "Really, you should be asking what you have that he could possibly want." Jack slipped a strong hand onto the small of the Welshman's back. Bracing him, flooding him with warmth. The blonde woman, looked over the two of them, a cruel smile curling her lips.

"If he is so deep into this relationship with you, why didn't he say anything?" Ianto tensed again, feeling his cheeks flush with shame. Jack's grip on the Welshman grew more firm.

"I may have given him reason, as of late, to believe that I didn't want others knowing of our relationship." Jack's gaze never faltered from the lieutenants. "That I was embarrassed by him, which couldn't be further from the truth." Ianto's cheeks flooded with warmth again, and his heart went out to the Captain, apologetic, excepting.

"And you aren't?" She scoffed heels clicking as she crossed her feet before her.

"Not in the slightest, I was embarrassed, however, at having UNIT know of how thoroughly he shagged me last night." Jack's own grin grew cruel. "Something that you will never experience, so long as Ianto will have me.

Ianto's heart sputtered in his chest, was Jack serious? He looked at the set of the immortal's jaw, the way he stood at attention. Ianto reached out once more through their bond. He could feel Jack bracing him, holding firmly to him. Ianto let himself melt into that connection. Ianto spoke, Jack's words carrying him along.

"Lieutenant Ulrich, need I remind you that you have a job to do, and soldiers to order about." The woman spun on her heels, feeling herself dismissed, but Ianto still had words to be said.

"Ma'am, to answer your question, I don't find power attractive. And your thirst for it sickens me." She kept moving, her pace quickening. "Oh, and I feel as though it will be in your best wishes to refrain from thrusting yourself upon any other person you deem attractive, it may prove detrimental to your, shall we say, desired rise of the ranks." The woman straitened, her steps clipped as she rushed back to her van. Ianto called after her, "And don't even think of exacting any sort of punishment on our guests, remember, we'll be watching." The blonde practically leaped into the van, the vehicle pulling out no sooner than she could shut the door. As soon as the van was out of sight Ianto melted into Jack's side, exhausted.

"I'm sorry sir, I let that situation get way out of hand." Jack wrapped his arm around the Welshman's waist, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head.

"It's my fault, you were just doing what you thought I wanted." Jack paused in their walk, pulling Ianto's head to his chest. "It's going to take some work, you and I, especially with this link." Ianto pulled back slightly.

"Would you rather it be gone?" He whispered, Jack pushed their foreheads together.

"I tried that earlier. I wanted you not to feel me, to have one fewer voice crowding your head." Ianto winced, remembering the hollow ache.

"Jack, that hurt me worse than you being there, as I told you before, You're the only one that doesn't hurt. When the others get too much I melt into you." The immortal nodded.

"So to answer your question, no, I don't want to sever that, and I was serious earlier, I felt you questioning that." Jack took Ianto's hands in his, kissing the knuckles.

"Ianto Jones, I want to be yours as long as you'll have me." Ianto rolled his eyes, slipping his arms around the immortal.

"You'll have a terribly long wait to get out of that if I get my way." Jack grinned again, pressing his lips to his Welshman's ear.

"Is that a promise?" Ianto shivered at the warm puffs of breath hitting his neck.

"Yes." Jack kissed Ianto's cheek lightly, the gesture receiving a light laugh from the Archivist.

"Back to work then, sir, this is still Torchwood." Jack groaned. They both stepped onto the lift.

"Oh, and apparently, Owen and Tosh wanted to talk to you about something." The lift rose, and Ianto frowned.

"Any idea?" Jack took a deep breath.

"They seem to have figured out about your empathy." The Welshman simply nodded, resigned.

"You're not upset?" Ianto shrugged, indifference rolling off him.

"They would find out eventually, and it might help having them know, Gwen however-" He let the words fall as the lift came to a halt. Jack nodded.

"Gotcha, and Yan, don't let her get to ya, yea? You're the one I will always come home to, and she's just jealous." Ianto rolled his eyes, smiling at the warmth of the immortal's statement. He took a deep breath, before stepping off the lift.


	47. Chapter 47: Fixing Freindships

The Welshman disappeared around the corner from the lift, leaving his lover stranded. and Jack took a deep breath, surveying his surroundings. Tosh and Owen were standing in front of Tosh's computer, both grinning madly, and Gwen was at her desk, scribbling furiously at a scrap of paper. A thought hit him from behind.

_"Apologize to her. Make amends. I know that she's an inconsiderate pain in the arse, but I don't want her to be hateful all the time. Play nice."_ Jack sighed, of course Ianto was right, but Gwen had been out of line, and Jack had put his foot down. He didn't want to grovel back to her.

_"You're not groveling Jack."_ The immortal huffed, before walking over to the Welshwoman's desk.

"Look Gwen." She held up a hand to silence him. He crossed his arms over his chest, angered by her response. She finished up her cruse drawing, Before tossing her pen down and turning her chair to face him.

"Yes sir?" Jack's back stiffened. Only Ianto called the Captain sir. Only he was allowed to, from anyone else the title was offensive, and the malice with which Gwen spat the word pushed it over onto almost obscene. Jack wanted to scream at the woman, but waves of calm and support surrounded him, keeping him civil.

"First of all, it's Jack, do not call me sir." He looked her sternly in the eye.

"Second, I wanted to apologize." Another deep breath, another wave of support.

"I may have been a bit harsh earlier, and it has been brought to my attention that those tactics are not what we need here. We are a team Gwen, and petty in fighting is something that will destroy us. We need to work together, and we can't do that if one of us is distracted by emotions." Gwen's voice was steady.

"So you're saying that it's not ok for me to be pissed, but its ok for you to be constantly worried about Ianto." Anger flooded Jack. He went to yell at Gwen that it was different, that He had a reason to worry, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"No, it isn't ok for Jack to be distracted by emotions while out in the field, especially on my account." Ianto set a mug of coffee on Gwen's desk. "The thing is Gwen, you remember how you felt when Rhys was helping us, that time with the space wale? How scared and worried you were?" Gwen nodded, suspiciously eyeing the Welshman.

"Jack goes through that every time I go into the field." Gwen swallowed, it was so difficult for her to let Rhys do it once, how was Jack going through that nearly every day.

"The difference is that Jack can set aside his feelings. He doesn't let them interfere with work, just as I don't let mine." Ianto looked the Welshwoman in the eye, smiling softly, before walking away, over to Owen and Tosh.

Gwen blinked rapidly, the weight of the Tea-boys words driving into her just how unfair she had been. Her petty anger and jealousy really didn't have any place here, nor did it have any warrant. She gripped her mug, taking a tentative sip. Her favorite coffee, just the way that she liked it, in her favorite mug. After all that she she had done and said to Ianto, about Ianto, he never treated her ill. Even now, after she had nearly destroyed his relationship, and been angry at his happiness, he showed her kindness. Gwen set the mug down shakily, before spinning her chair away from Jack and leaping up striding over to the Welshman. Jack watched in horror, unsure of what the former officer would do. Ianto spun to meet her, stray sliding quickly onto Tosh's desk. Gwen threw her arms around Ianto's middle, causing him to stumble back a step. She sobbed into his chest, a dark grey patch forming on the Archivist's shirt.

Ianto wrapped his arms around the sobbing woman's shoulders, feeling the guilt and self—loathing replace the hatred and jealousy that had been surrounding her. He shot Jack a look that clearly told him to get the others away for a while. The immortal nodded. Pointing at Owen and Tosh and then directing that pint to the cog door. The nodded following the Captain out of the HUB. Ianto rubbed soothing circles on Gwen's back.

"Shh, Gwen, it's alright." Gwen shuddered in her sobs.

"No it isn't, Ianto. It is not ok. All I've been is mean and spiteful towards you, after everything you've done for me. For nothing." She choked back a bitter laugh.

"I nearly destroy your relationship, and you still treat me the same as always. Why?" Ianto smiled burying his cheek in the Welshwoman's hair.

"My mam always told me that if someone wrongs you, kill them with kindness, and they will see the error of their ways." Gwen smiled.

"It works that, Ianto, Mae'n ddrwg 'da fi, I'm sorry." The archivist squeezed the Welshwoman's shoulders lightly, pulling back.

"It's ok." The Welshwoman leaned forward, a chaste kiss pressing itself upon Ianto's lips.

"Diolch." Ianto kissed her forehead affectionately, dispelling in ill will with the gesture.

"Creoso." Ianto stepped back, releasing his hold on Gwen.

"Now, shall we get back to how things were?" Gwen nodded.

"Can I ask you one question though?" Ianto shrugged.

"Sure." Gwen raised an eyebrow.

"Did you really shag Jack last night?" Ianto's ears burned crimson, and he ducked his head. Gwen grinned.

"You did! Oh my god, Ianto, you ci!" Ianto's blush deepened and he glanced up at her.

"Tell you about that did he?"

"He said quite a bit." Ianto sent the all clear to Jack, who came strolling into the room with two ice cream cones.

"I brought you kids a treat." He said smiling, handing the ice cream to the two Welsh persons on his team. Ianto rolled his eyes.

"You do realize how creepy it is when you call us kids, right?" Jack winced, catching the undercurrent of disapproval from Ianto.

"Well, I've always looked at Torchwood as a family." He held up a hand so Ianto couldn't interrupt him.

"I'm like the father figure, Owen is the grumpy older brother, Tosh is the perfect daughter, Gwen is the rebellious teen." Ianto quirked an eyebrow?

"Should I even ask what you consider me as?" Gwen snickered, and Jack managed a blush.

"You're like the other parent. You feed everyone and clean up after everyone, you make sure we are taken care of. You comfort us, you keep us organized. You're always there when we need you." Ianto felt the love and warmth from Jack and smiled softly, before his dry sarcasm filled the air.

"So you think I'm the mom." Jack blushed, the light pink coloring his tan cheeks.

"I said other parent. I'm not implying that you're the more effeminate of this relationship." Jack held up his hands in mock defense.

"So which one of you is the wife anyway?" Gwen asked, taking a bite out of her ice cream cone. Jack paled, and Ianto raised a quizzical eyebrow, daring him to say it. Jack swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Well, uh." His pink cheeks deepened, and Ianto had mercy on the poor immortal.

"I'm going to say neither of us. Jack takes forever in the bathroom, but I'm better dressed and organized, usually." He said, as Gwen eyed Ianto's nonstandard outfit quizzically.

"Yea, what up with that outfit anyway? I was under the impression that all you owned were suits." Ianto went to answer, but Jack decided to answer this one himself.

"Oh, Yan has a whole secret wardrobe, full of his rock band clothes." Ianto froze, embarrassment tinting him crimson and causing Jack to grin. Gwen sputtered a laugh.

"Ianto, in a rock band. Jack are you daft?" Ianto's blush deepened, and he dropped his head.

"It's true Gwen." Gwen looked at Ianto in shock.

**Welsh phrases explained: Diolch = thank you Creoso=Welcome Mae'n ddrwg 'da fi= I'm sorry ci=dog**


	48. Chapter 48: Forgotten Obligations

**Author's note: I am merging another short fic of mine with this one, as it fits. It isn't a song-fic, I promise.**

"Are you two messing with me? You're fucking with me aren't you." Owen bounded into the room with Tosh in hand, He saw the crimson colored Tea-boy and the shocked Gwen.

"You tell her about Blue Gillespie yet?" Ianto sent Owen a warning glare, and Jack just smiled. Gwen's face drained of color.

"Blue Gillespie, there is no way. Ianto?" She turned on him.

"Heard of them then?" Gwen ran her fingers through her fringe.

"It's one of Rhys' favorite bands." Ianto smiled, it was nice to know that someone liked his music.

"Yea, well I s-sort of, sing, for them, a bit." He stammered and Gwen shook her head.

"No that isn't right, Rhys mentioned that their lead singer was some bloke named Gareth Lloyd." Ianto smiled slightly.

"My middle name and my mother's maiden name. Ianto Gareth Jones, Guinevere Tanwyn Lloyd Jones." He waved his hands about, hoping to wave the topic away. Jack smiled, he hadn't made that connection with the name, but it fit him.

"But I was supposed to go see them tonight with Rhys." Ianto paled slightly, trying to blend in with the background a bit. He had forgotten about his gig. Jack turned to him.

"You never said that you had a performance tonight?" Ianto stammered.

"I-I forgot. I've had other things to think about. Oh god, what time is it?" He pulled out his watch, noting the time before whipping out his phone.

"Hey, Rhys?" Ianto said, and the confusion pouring off of the others made his head swim. He leaned against the wall, for balance.

"Ianto! Hey mate! I was beginning to worry that you had forgotten about the gig tonight, you are still in for that right?" Ianto bit his lip. He didn't want to, not with people that he knew watching him, knowing who he really was.

_"Don't you dare chicken out Ianto Gareth Jones. I want to see my favorite band perform, you aren't going to stop that."_ Ianto sighed, rubbing his temples and glaring at Jack.

"Yea, I'm in, and Rhys, could you reserve an extra seat?"

"Make that two." Tosh said with a giggle.

"Three, Tea-boy, I gotta see this." Ianto pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Make that three." A laugh sounded from the phone, loud and deep.

"Sure mate, I take it that your coworkers found out about your night job." Ianto groaned.

"And my boss." Jack grinned playfully at his Welshman.

"Tough break man. I'll see what I can do about those seats. Are you going to need a getaway car?" Ianto chuckled.

"Maybe, it depends on if you can keep up this time." More confusion from his audience, a hint of jealousy from Jack, that's cute.

"I'll keep up when you hit the right notes." Ianto smiled.

"Well, seeing as how I never mess up." A snort,

"Oh please, even if you did, you're screaming half the time so no one will notice." Ianto flushed pink, and Jack seething inwardly. Only he got to make Ianto blush like that. The immortal wanted to hear the other half of that conversation.

"Watch it Rhys." Another laugh on the line.

"So are you going to bring this mystery woman you've been seeing?" Ianto bristled.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He heard Rhys yelling off of the phone,

"I win, 5 quid, yup, he denied she exists. Look, Ianto, after every show you disappear instead of playing with the groupies like the rest of us. Drummer boy bet that you just weren't interested in the local game, but I think it's because you've got a lady at home for ya." Ianto paled, but before he could speak, the Rift Alarm went off.

"Jesus mate, what's that."

"Emergency at work. I'll be there at 7" Ianto hung up the phone stuffing it into his jeans before running over to the team. "What is it?" Tosh, Gwen and Owen shared a look, all of them amused by Ianto's apparently embarrassing conversation.

"Small rift spike in Splott." Tosh said, Owen groaned.

"Why is it always Splott?" Ianto sighed inwardly. Before he could correct Owen on his pronunciation, Jack interrupted him.

"I believe it's pronounced Sploe." The Team looked at him, shocked by the Captain's correction.

_"Now you've confused them. What are you getting at, quoting me?"_ A rush of amusement flooded through the Captain with his lover's comment. He gave Ianto a look that clearly stated for the Welshman to hush.

"Gwen, Owen, would you two like to go with me to Sploe? Tosh, Ianto, stay here and hold down the fort." Ianto was slightly disappointed, but he trusted Jack's choice.

_"Don't over think it Yan. You have a gig tonight for one thing, and I want you to talk to Tosh about your Empathy." _ Ianto stiffened.

"Alright sir." Ianto walked off to the armory, collecting the Teams kit. The Immortal flooded him with love and compassion and Ianto returned the sentiment. He really wasn't angry, and he tried to convince Jack of that. He brought the kit out to the team. Owen was consciously feeding him support, which scared Ianto a little. Gwen was radiating happiness, and surprisingly, humility. Jack was this comforting warm patch that Ianto found it hard not to collapse into.

The Immortal saw Ianto waver slightly, knowing how tired the Welshman was. He squeezed Ianto's shoulder slightly, as the team turned to leave. Gwen sighed, shaking her head slightly.

"If you want to kiss him, kiss him, he's your boyfriend." Jack looked at Ianto with his signature cocky grin.

"You heard the lady." Ianto rolled his eyes, before grabbing the Captain's coat collar and dragging his lips down, crushing them together with such force and passion that the Immortal's head span. Ianto pulled away, turning Jack towards the door and pushing him lightly.

"Go on, work to do." Jack stumbled after his crew, dazed by the kiss.

As soon as the others were gone, Ianto yawned, exhausted by the events of his day.


	49. Chapter 49: Coffee Addiction

As soon as the others were gone, Ianto yawned, exhausted by the events of his day. He looked at his watch and groaned.

"It's barely 1, and I need a nap." Tosh chuckled, feeding strings of numbers into the computer.

"That's what happened with you Empaths, it takes so much energy to control your powers, that you don't have much to do anything else." Ianto collapsed into Gwen's chair.

"Does it say anything about us being coffee addicts? Because I think I'm going to go make my fourth cup." Tosh chuckled.

"No, basically, all I can find is that most Empaths are useless until they find their anchor, the person that they can go to when the world gets to be too much. Once they have that, then they start building tolerance to everything else." Tosh shrugged. "Other than keeping Jack around, which I can't find any scenario in which he isn't following you around anyway, you are now more prone to developing brain tumors, depression, and suicide." Ianto laughed.

"I've been at risk for all that and more since I joined Torchwood in the first place." Tosh nodded, saddened slightly. "Tosh, don't be upset over that ok? I came to terms with all of this years ago, the fact that I've nearly survived 10 years of Torchwood is a miracle. The fact that I've made it through Canary Warf, Lisa, Abbedon, Cannibals, John Hart, Jack Harkness, and numerous other occupational incedents, I've started to consider myself the luckiest man in Cardiff." Tosh smiled.

"So, that concert tonight, are you ready for that?" Ianto groaned again. "No. I'm tired, and if it's bad enough that you guys are going to be there, but I have to introduce Jack to my mates." Tosh stifled a laugh.

"They don't know that you're-" Ianto gave her a stern look.

"I'm not. It's just Jack, Tosh." Tosh through up her hand's in mock defense.

"You are in a relationship now Ianto. You'll be introducing Jack to a lot more than just other band members." The Welshman bolted upright.

"Shit, Tosh, how the hell am I going to introduce Jack to my family? Last thing they heard of my love life, I was engaged to Lisa."

Jack felt a sudden rush of anxiety in his stomach, and swerved in traffic, nearly hitting a car in the other lane.

"Shit, Jack! Are you trying to Bloody kill us?" Gwen shrieked. Jack tuned her out. _"Ianto, Yan are you ok?" _Jack screamed through their link, unsure if his Welshman could hear him from this distance.

_"Yes, Jack, I'm fine, Tosh just brought up a scary topic is all"_ Jack let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

_"Care to share?" _Ianto bit his lip nervously, anxiety flaring again.

_"You aren't going to like it." _the immortal fidgeted, whatever it was, it had Ianto upset, and that took a lot.

_"Hit me." _The Welshman took a deep breath.

_"She brought up meeting the parents." _Jack nearly swerved out of traffic again.

_"Meeting the family? Ianto I don't know if-" _A flood of comfort from Ianto_._

_ "I'm not either Jack, believe me. That's why the thought freaked me out. But it will be a while before that's an issue, so let's just set it aside and, oh I don't know, never come back to it." _Jack suppressed a chuckle, Gwen was already looking at him like he was mad_._

_ "Soon Ianto, I would like to meet your family, have you meet mine, but not now. Right now, I want you to take a nap, I can feel how tired you are."_

Ianto stretched again, the heaviness of sleep drifting over him, Jack was right.

_"Yea, I am, I'm going to sleep, Tosh'll wake me when I'm needed. Love you Jack." _The Captain smiled, _"Love you too."_

Tosh looked at Ianto, she saw the sleep in his eyes, the way his body sagged into the chair.

"Couch still has a blanket on it from last night." Tosh said, and Ianto smiled,

"thanks, but I think I'm going to crash Jack's bunk." The technician blushed, the casual way that he had referred to it throwing her off balance.

"Oh yea, sorry forgot about that." The embarrassment rolling of the technician had Ianto blushing slightly.

"Wake me up if anything happens in Splott, or with Glib and Fall." Tosh nodded, turning to her computer screen and continuing to enter streams of code. Ianto trudged up to his lover's office, nearly falling down the man-hole onto the mattress, only to find a shoe box sitting on it. Ianto wanted to toss it off and curl up, but his curiosity caught the better of him. He inspected the box, scanning the sides for any indication of its contents or owner, before giving it a good shake. The rustling of papers peaked the Archivist's curiosity further, as he gingerly pulled off the lid.


	50. Chapter 50: ROUS

Gwen and Owen were weaving in and out of trees, chasing down a particularly rambunctious creature. Unlike the two that they had been dealing with earlier, this one appeared to be no more sentient that a door mouse. In truth, it resembled one, a large mouse, a meter long and half that tall.

"Westley, what about the R.O.U.S.'s?." Gwen panted, hurtling a root in her path. Owen smiled.

"Rodents Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist." A chuckle through the COMM.

"The Princess Bride. Excellent movie. You know I met a guy that looked a lot like Westley once, worked at a farm. Looked at me a bit funny when I answered everything with, 'As you wish.' Never complained though" Owen let out an exasperated sigh.

"Jack, where are you exactly?" a rustle and a shriek, Gwen tumbled to the ground, as a net fell over the creature from above. Jack lifted himself from the leaves, brushing some dirt from his coat.

"Jack! Bloody hell! You gave me a heart attack!" Gwen said, pushing herself up. Owen stopped next to them.

"What did I miss?" Gwen shot Jack an icy glare before speaking.

"Flyboy apparently took to the trees. He jumped down right in front of me with that net." The captain's grin grew broader, as sauntered over to the now captured creature. It wriggled in its confines, trying to gnaw through the net with its sharp yellow fangs.

"Tosh? We are bringing back a live one. I don't think it's alien though. Looks like it's from earth, just older earth."

"Ok then, be careful with it. Ianto will have a fit if he has to clean any more blood from the SUV." Gwen and Owen shared an equally as frightened look, knowing that the wrath of said Welshman is something to be feared.

"We'll be careful Tosh." Jack stated, sedating the rodent and hefting it over his shoulder. He switched the COMM to a private line. "How is he Tosh?"

"Fine, He went to your bunk a while ago to take a nap." The Captain's steps fumbled slightly, the rodent nearly hitting the ground. The Box! If Ianto got a hold of that...


	51. Chapter 51: Dreams

The Welshman was confused at first, by the contents of the shoe box. There was a book in there, he saw, but it was dwarfed by the amount of paper. Hundreds of scraps of paper were folded inside the box, each one containing an image, so intricately sketched that the Archivist had at first mistaken them for a photograph. Ianto quickly shut the lid, guilt at seeing something so obviously personal to his captain rolling in his stomach. He tried to quell it, knowing that Jack would be able to feel it, by setting the box carefully out of sight and placing his Jacket on top of it. Ianto laid down on the small camp bed, breathing deeply the scent of Jack and relishing the warmth of the sheets. He drifted into an uneasy sleep, his thoughts swirling around the box full of faces.

Jack sped back to the HUB, Gwen thrashing about in the passenger seat cursing him, while Owen stretched out in the back, texting furiously. Every time Gwen glanced back to see what the dead man was doing, she ended up either being tossed about by the captain's reckless driving, or met with an inquiry of her honeymoon by Tosh.

"Again, Tosh, Rhys and I had a lovely trip, the beach was fantastic, and I managed not to get a sunburn. Now answer me, why are you so curious?" She heard a pause in the constant clicking on the other side, a well-known sign that the technician was thinking.

"You only just got back, and I haven't heard anything from you all week. I was just making conversation." Gwen sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in an attempt to quell the headache she felt growing.

"You and I can have a proper talk once we make it back to the HUB." The squealing of tires as Jack took a curve at twice the safe speed.

"If you make it back. It sounds like you are racing! What is Jack doing?" Tosh questioned.  
"Apparently trying to kill me, re-kill Owen, and himself." Jack grunted in his seat, his speed reducing slightly.

"Is that better then." He growled. And Gwen allowed herself a small smile.

"Yes, thank you. What's the rush anyway? We still have four hours before Ianto's performance, and you've not been away from him long enough to be missing him that badly." Jack tapped his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel, trying to ignore Gwen's question. How could he possibly explain to her that he had left one of his most private possessions out in a place where Ianto would most likely find it. How could he explain how much that frightened him. What would his Welshman think when he saw those sketches? How would he react? Jack stretched out through their bond, feeling desperately for Ianto, and finding him restless. He saw Vividly in the back of his mind, the images that Ianto was dreaming off. Gwen's wedding, the dreadful dance, punching the blonde, a walk in the cold, dinner with John, Jack's arrival. He was looking into his own eyes then, the scene drifting from the bed, to the dinner, to Ianto's bed. A flicker of Gwen, a wave of blinding pain, the horrible blond, and then the box. The captain watched as Ianto opened it, saw the contents, shut it quickly and his it away. He felt the guilt roiling in the Welshman's stomach, as if he had defiled something sacred. The immortal felt the scene shift again, the whole thing running in a loop. Piece by piece he replaced each image with a sense of security and warmth, soothing the Welshman and calming his sleep. Little did he realize that he himself had begun to doze off, until a sharp pain erupted in his arm, followed by the shrill drone of Gwen's voice.

"I said slow down! Not come to a complete stop in the middle of the road!" Jack jolted forward, slamming the gas and bringing the SUV back up to speed.

"Aww leave him alone Gwen, it's obvious that Tea-boy shagged him ragged last night. I'm amazed that he even made it in today, let alone managed to stay awake." The captain looked in the mirror at Owen, who just tapped his nose knowingly. _He's covering for me. _Jack smiled, yawning tiredly before pulling up to the HUB.

"Well we're here in any case, I'll get our Rodent of an Unusual size into a cell." He got out of the SUV, stretching languidly before retrieving the creature from the back of the SUV. Gwen and Owen gathered together their belongings, before the trio entered the HUB.

Tosh sat in her chair, glasses pushed up the bridge of her nose as she furiously typed at her computer. Gwen noticed hundreds of Images whizzing across the screen, and was unable herself to make out what they were. The Welshwoman coughed slightly, startling the Technician from her task. The woman jolted, quickly closing out of whatever she was doing, and turning to Gwen.

"Oh, sorry, got a bit caught up. Jack said that you had an unusual specimen for me?" He falsely chipper tone didn't fool Gwen, but the former cop set it aside. _Late. _She promised herself.

"Yep, he seems to have taken to calling it a Rodent of unusual size." Tosh smiled at this.

"Probably prehistoric then. Early mammal? Tell Jack that I'll take a look at it and get him the results ASAP." A distinct ringing sound echoed through the Hub, as Jack clambered up the steps.

"Tosh, would you mind calling in for some lunch? I know it's abet late for that, but-" The technician nodded.

"No problem. Gwen, would you like to accompany me to the Thai place around the corner?" Gwen hesitated, before joining in.

"Sure Tosh, Thai sound's great." The two women walked side by side out of the Hub, while their captain slipped into his office.


	52. Chapter 52: Shared Memories

Jack smiled down at the Welshman, now curled up in a ball on his bed. He deliberated on whether or not to curl in with Ianto, but the idea was put to rest when a small moan came from below.

"Jack, I can practically here you saying how adorable I am." The Welshman groaned, sitting up.

"Sorry, can't help myself." Jack said, descending the ladder into the small bunker. He sat on the end of the bed, not wanting to get too close to the Welshman.

"Is something wrong sir?" Ianto's brow furrowed, his hand grazing over Jack's arm. The concern in his eyes twisted the Captain's stomach. Jack gestured over at the chair, noting the square shape under the jacket.

"I see you found my drawings." Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. A wave of guilt flowed from his lover at this.

"Yea, sorry about that, I shouldn't have been snooping." Ianto was wringing the blanket now, his fingers knotting the fabric guiltily.

"You weren't Yan, I saw what you did. There isn't anything to be guilty about. I'm the one who left them out." The Welshman slowed his fingers.

"Should I even ask at how you saw that? Or just chalk it up to another Harkness secret." The immortal flinched, the fact that he had so many secrets a sore spot for him.

"I saw you're dreams. And I'm sorry for having so many secrets Yan, if I could I'd-" An arm wrapped around his shoulder, drawing the immortal down against the Welshman's chest.

"I know that you have to have you're secrets. I know that you want to tell me everything. I know that doing that is impossible for you. " Ianto pressed a kiss in Jack's hair. "And I want you to know that it doesn't matter. What you can share is enough." The immortal let out a breath that he hadn't been aware of holding. He snuggled into his lover's T-shirt, breathing in the warmth and love radiating off of him.

"Those drawings, Ianto, they are my memories. Different things that I remember from different time's in my past. I've lived so long, everything seems to fade and blur together." Jack stood, grabbing the box from the chair, before settling back into Ianto's arms. He opened the box, drawing out a folded piece of yellowing paper, the edges crumbling slightly in his fingers. Unfolding it, the image of a beautiful young woman in a Union Jack top appeared. Her lightly shaded hair fell to her shoulders, her smile warm and endearing. She was leaning back against a railing in an unusual looking room. The walls of it sloping into the edges of the paper.

"Rose Tyler." Jack whispered slightly, much to Ianto's amazement. The captain had often spoke fondly of the Doctor and Rose, he hadn't realized how long ago that had been for him.

"I drew this after my third death. When I realized that I wouldn't be getting back to the TARDIS anytime soon, I wanted to preserve the memories that I had. This is her on the TARDIS the night I met them." Ianto had wrapped himself even tighter around his captain. Another image unfurled from the box this one much newer, the paper crisp and clean.

The Welshman pulled another drawing from the box. This one was of a beach, the sea calm, the sand undisturbed, not a cloud in the sky, yet you could see the smallest of ripples in the water, and the way that the shore sloped into the sea.

"Boeshane. I think. I sketched that one night out of the blue, and I'm pretty sure that it's Boeshane." Ianto nuzzled his face into Jack's collar. The immortal pulled out another scrap of paper.

"And this one, this I drew right after someone saved me from a Weevil." The Welshman's voice hitched in his throat, as he peered down at none other than himself. Well a highly polished version of himself in his opinion. He was leaning up against a tree, the moonlight clearly illuminating his features in a manner that made him appear to be carved out of stone. Every detail in the image was crisp and sharp, right down to the wrinkles in his flannel shirt. He ran his finger appreciatively over the image, memorizing every bump and plain of the parchment.

"Jack." He hiccupped. Speech had completely evading him. He didn't know what to say.

"That bad?" The captain asked, nervous. HE had never shone these drawings to anyone, and here he was, showing Ianto a sketch of himself.

"It's amazing. Absolutely incredible." Ianto breathed, desperately trying to find an adjective strong enough to convey his emotions. "Though you did manage to make me look far more attractive than I actually am." Jack laughed at that, the tension leaving his shoulders.

"It doesn't do you justice."

"Thank you." The Welshman murmured and Jack turned to him slightly.

"What for?" a kiss behind his ear.

"For giving me this. A piece of your past." Jack shifted in his Welshman's arms, putting the lid back on the box and setting it in the floor. He wrapped his arms around his lover's waist, palms pressed against the bed, face hovering over his lover's neck.

"Thank you for excepting it." A kiss, to the Welshman's jaw, followed by another and another, trailing down his neck to his collar. The sound of heels tapping against concrete went completely ignored, until a snort and a guffaw broke the air.


	53. Chapter 53: Lunch

Gwen stood over the bunker, hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking slightly. Ianto fell back onto the mattress pulling the wadded blanket over his head with a moan. Jack shook his head, kissing his lover sloppily on the lips before rolling back and climbing out of the bunker.

"Sorry, Jack, umm, food's here." She broke into laughter again, and the captain crossed his arms.

"When are you ever going to learn to knock?" A voice from behind.

"When you learn not to seduce me at work." Jack spun around, to see his lover pulling himself up from the ladder, hair still a mess from sleep, but clothes as strait and well pressed as his suits always managed to look. Gwen leaned to Ianto conspiratorially.

"I'll not have to learn to knock will I?" The Welshman shook his head, before clapping his hands and striding towards the door.

"Let's have lunch shall we? I am starving." Gwen and Jack shared an amused look, which only further spired the Archivist forward. The trio sat around the little table in the HUB, Jack attempting to grope Ianto throughout the meal.

The third time that the immortal rubbed his leg against his lover, the Welshman stomped on his foot.

"Yan!" Jack gasped, and Ianto smirked quietly.

"Yes sir?" He stated, amused. Tosh was grinning knowingly at him, while the doctor and Gwen simply looked confused. Jack rolled in his pain, going instead to toy with his lover.

"What have you told your band mates about me." The immortal asked innocently, and Ianto choked on his bite of food. Coughing and gasping, with Jack patting his back concernedly, he finally recovered enough to speak.

"Please tell me that I misheard you." The immortal looked lightly wounded, the sentiment carried through their bond. Ianto wanted to explain, but the words wouldn't come.

"_Are YOU embarrassed by ME?"_ The immortal asked incredulously, the pain needling the Welshman's heart.

"Look, Jack, I haven't. We weren't serious until yesterday. And the boys." Ianto took a deep breath, gazing into his lover's eyes. "I was planning on introducing you tonight, after the gig."

Owen and Tosh shared a nervous glance, not knowing how this would play out. Gwen had managed to lean further into Ianto's personal space than common courtesy allowed.

"So It just never came up then." The immortal stated, slightly relieved. He still had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that Ianto was keeping something from him, but for now he was content to let the matter drop. It would be better addressed away from prying eyes.

"Not really." The Archivist bit his lip, not wanting to poison the moment by mentioning that half his band thought that he had been hiding a secret girlfriend. Jack seemed to drop the topic, opting for silence. This silence held over the majority of their meal, until Tosh decided to breach the topic on the back of her mind.

"So, Ianto, what happened on your date last night." The Welshman paused, fork midway to his open mouth. He glanced around the room, reading the reactions to the questions. Gwen seemed intrigued, Tosh curious, even Owen seemed interested, if slightly put off. Jack, well Jack just glanced at the Welshman nervously.

"Well, it was amazing, To start with." The immortal relaxed instantly, all doubts about the night before instantly erased.

"Jack took me to, well the Inn where Hart was holding me. Gertrude and Olivia had set of the garden and-" Gwen interrupted

"Woe wait, your date with Jack was were his ex had held you captive?" Jack blushed, the way she had put it showing poorly on him. He hadn't even considered that.

"Yes, but, as I was saying, Gertrude and Olivia had set the garden gazebo up so that-"

"Wait who are Gertrude and Olivia?" Jack felt Ianto growing impatient with the Welshwoman, and sympathized with him.

"Gertrude is the owner of the Inn, a lovely woman of around 80 or so. Olivia is her wife." Gwen sat up a bit straighter, that fact enough to keep her mind occupied while the Archivist continued to regale the other's with his and his lover's first date

."They had fairy lights in the hedges, and the table was set beautifully, a single vase and small candelabra. It was perfect. The food was incredible too. A four course meal hand prepared, great wine, good company." Jack held a hand over his heart in mock shock.

"Good? Just good?" This earned him an eye roll from the Welshman.

"Don't push it sir." The immortal chuckled.

"Are you going to tell them what happened afterwards, or shall I?" Owen covered his ears.

"I really don't want to know what you did afterwards. Tea-boy has already said enough." Ianto blushed, and Jack laughed. Gwen knew instantly what pint Jack was about to bring up, and she shuffled her way to the edge of the sofa.

"So you told them what I asked then." The Welshman's blush deepened.

"No, more along the lines of, what happened when we reached our flat." There, it was out, with one pronoun Tosh and Owen knew exactly what had happened.

"You asked to move in with him?" Owen nearly shouted, shock radiating off of him.

Ianto took a deep breath, grasping Jack's hand., yet it was the captain who spoke.

"Yes I did, and he agreed. Apparently I seem to have assimilated myself into the flat without noticing." Owen chuckled.

"Get yourself a drawer there, or start leaving your toothbrush?" Jack and Ianto shared an amused look, before bursting into laughter.

"This man," Ianto said wrapping an arm around his lover's shoulders. "Has managed to completely take over my dresser, and still has a full wardrobe here." Jack managed a slight blush, as Owen balked at them. Gwen settled into a small tight smile, the happy couple's exploits a bit too much for her. Ianto felt the guilt and pain on the Welshwoman, his levity abating slightly. He pulled out his phone, grimacing at the time. "It's nearly 4:30. I'm going to go finish some paperwork." He stood, carrying his trash to the bin before walking swiftly to the archives.


	54. Chapter 54: Revealing Secrets

"What time are we heading out today, Jack?" Tosh asked, glancing after the Welshman.

"I'm thinking 5 ish, Rift permitting. Are we going to meet at the Pub tonight or-" Gwen piped in.

"I have to pick up my Rhys, and Ianto will probably need to get their before all of us, to warm up and all that. I say we just meet there at, say 7:30?" Owen and Tosh nodded.

"Sounds good. Gives me enough time to clean up a bit." Tosh said and Owen looked at her seriously.

"You look great as you are." The pink staining her cheeks brought a smile to the immortal's face. He didn't know what sort of relationship that the dead man and the technician were in, or how it worked, but it suited the two of them, and he was happy for them.

Five o'clock rolled around, with Gwen already gone. Jack stood on the railing shouting down to Tosh.

"Does it look like the Rift will behave?" The technician checked her computer.

"Nothing shows up until tomorrow afternoon, looks like we might get what we want this evening." The captain smiled down.

"In that case, you go ahead home. You too Owen. Change your clothes. I know that you no longer produce body odor, but please, we get tired of seeing the same thing every day." The dead man looked slightly embarrassed.

"Yea, ok. See you at Tea-boy's concert." He grumbled, and Tosh ran up beside him.

"I'll walk with you out." Owen slowed, his pace joining that of the technician. They walked out of the HUB doors, leaving the Captain to find his lover.

"Ianto?" He shouted, with no response. The Captain was slightly panicked, not liking the silence. He knew that the HUB was massive, and that Ianto was probably ok, yet still he felt uneasy. His Welshman was hiding something from him, and that hurt.

Ianto sat in his archives, rifling through stacks of paperwork, correcting, writing, filing. It had a soothing effect, the monotony. He used the repetitive tasks to distance himself from reality. A way of detaching for a few moments and gathering his wits about him. Tonight would be a challenge. Not only did he have to preform, which on it's own was enough to make him panic. But tonight he has to perform in front of people he knew, people that knew him. He couldn't hide behind his stage persona tonight. Gareth Lloyd wouldn't be performing, it would be Ianto Jones. The quiet, reserved Archivist for Torchwood 3. The one who makes coffee and runs a tourist shop. The Welshman sighed, his head falling onto his arms as he tried to shove his feelings down. He had to get himself together, or this evening would never happen.

The immortal felt a sense of loathing trickling into his senses, and recognized it as coming from his lover. He followed it down to the archives. Frightened by what it could mean. He saw Ianto scribbling furiously at a piece of paper in front of him, before sighing and dropping his head onto his arms in a huff. The captain chuckled softly, before stepping forward and placing his hands on his lover's shoulders

"Filling out reports really that frustrating?" The Welshman groaned, sitting up and resting his head on the captain's stomach.

"I'm nervous for tonight." He said, and Jack began rubbing the Archivist's shoulders.

"Nervous to perform, or nervous for your friends to find out about me." Ianto sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

"Both? Neither? I really don't know Jack." The immortal nodded, working out the knots in his lover's shoulders.

"Well, I've seen you perform in videos. You are amazing, there really is nothing to be worried about there."

"But there is. That isn't me Jack. That's my stage persona. It's like a whole other state of mind. When I slip into that, I'm not the bashful archivist from Torchwood 3. I'm a confident and talented 20 something that is the front man for Blue Gillespie. That's Gareth Lloyd." Jack wrapped his arms around his lover, resting his chin on the Welshman's head.

"The Ianto Jones that I know, is a handsome, intelligent, talented man, who has faced more danger bravely, in his 29 years, than I have in my 150. If you think that performing in front of your coworkers is scary, remember that you've survived almost being eaten by cannibals." Ianto chuckled.

"Comparatively, it does seem a bit ridiculous to have stage fright." The captain laughed. Ianto stood, turning to Jack and wrapping his arms around the Captains midsection.

"As for introducing you to the band, well, that will be interesting, considering half the band believes that I have a secret girlfriend." Jack looked at Ianto quizzically.

"You didn't correct them?" The Welshman shrugged.

"I didn't know that they thought that until I called Rhys this morning. Besides, I'm kind of interested to see what their reaction will be." Jack squeezing his lover lightly, before stepping back and takeing his hand.

"Well we will never know if we stay here. Come on, let's get home, the others have already left." Ianto glanced at his watch. 5:30.

"Alright then." The two men walked, hand in hand, out of the HUB and to the SUV.


	55. Chapter 55: Anonymous

Toshiko Sato sat on her couch clicking through the images on her laptop, impressed by the pictures that Gertrude and Olivia had procured of her best friend on his date. She edited them, cleaning them and placing them in the digital picture album that she had been creating. A part of her chided the use of spies to gather these pictures, but the ends justified the means. She went to save her edits, before a message flashed across her screen.

Anonymous: I have a picture for your collection Miss Sato.

TechSato: Who are you, how do you know about that?

Anonymous: I hacked your computer for some other information.

TechSato: Captain John Hart I presume.

Anonymous: Pretty and smart. You caught me. I was simply admiring your collection, it is very large.

Tosh felt her cheeks warm. She had been collecting pictures of the Torchwood team since she had joined; building a massive digital scrapbook. Lately is had become more of a collection of pictures of the HUB's favorite couple.

TechSato: That picture Hart. What of?

Anonymous: Eye Candy.

TechSato: I have enough of him thank you.

Anonymous: You'll want this one.

TechSato: Why? And what do you care about my album? What do you get out of this?

Anonymous: So cynical. I thought that when you show Eye Candy this well…

TechSato: The picture?

Anonymous: [File attached]

Tosh opened the file a blush crossing her face at the image before her. Ianto stood, arm above his head as he leaned against a darkened door frame. His hair was curled, and she could tell, slightly damp. The red silk pajamas he was wearing clung to every inch of his body, the shirt not quite touching the bottom.

TechSato: Where did you get this?

Anonymous: I took it.

TechSato: How? When?

Anonymous: The night before you guys caught him. And with my phone. I couldn't bare to pass an opportunity for a picture like that.

TechSato: So I ask again, why are you sharing it?

Anonymous: So when Ianto looks back on these pictures, he remembers me. So when Jack sees this, it reminds him of exactly what he doesn't give his lover.

TechSato: Thank you.

Anonymous: Thank you? That's a new one. Good god, I was with Ianto for not even 2 days, and I'm already kinder. That's it. I'm gone.

[Anonymous is off line]

Tosh saved the image to the album, before pausing. _This really is too good not to share. _The technician emailed the picture to Owen, Gwen, and Jack, offering a silent apology to the Welshman the file contained.


	56. Chapter 56:Dinner Plan

Owen was sprawled out on his couch, legs over the back and head towards the floor. Laying upside down had become something that he had done often, a way of changing his scenery without much effort. The lack of blood rushing to his head made the whole experience almost pleasant. Until, that is, he remembered why there was no blood rushing to his head, or why he had taken to sitting upside down in the first place. Before these thoughts could plague him, however, his phone rang.

"That had better not be Jack. I just got home, and I am not going to patch up another "Weevil Wound." The dead man glanced at his screen, noting that it was just a picture message from Tosh.

"That's weird." He opened the message, expecting a cute kitten or science joke, the usual message from the technician. Instead, the picture inside shocked him. He dialed Tosh's number.

"Tosh! Bloody hell! Where did you get that picture?"

A giggle from the line.

"Hart sent it to me." The dead man shook himself, That picture definitely showed a new side of their Tea-boy.

"Where did Hart get it? I mean gees Tosh, he looks so-"

"Sexy?" Owen sighed, a part of him burned at the thought of Tosh finding another man attractive, as ridiculous as that fact was. For one thing, said man was Ianto Jones, Torchwood Tea-boy and current boyfriend to their boss, Captain Jack Harkness.

"Not what I was going to say."

"Oh I highly doubt that it was, but frankly, you can't deny that fact." Owen snorted derisively.

"It looks like he posed." Another laugh. Owen imagined that he felt himself warm.

"I sincerely think that this is a candid shot Owen. Ianto is a very bashful man, and that picture would probably embarrass him, should he know that we have it." Owen chuckled.

"You are probably right. So how angry do you think he would be if I sent this to say, Gwen?" a cough.

"Actually, I umm, I may have already done that." Owen felt his Jaw drop.

"Tosh, you didn't."

"Is it really that bad?"

"She still doesn't believe that he is capable of performing in a band, that we are all going to see tonight. That picture probably gave her a heart attack."

"Kind of serves her right though. I mean she has never really cared about Ianto, she even asked me once what Jack could possibly see in him that he couldn't in her." Owen could think of quite a list. The first item of which being Loyalty.

"Well if that is what Jack sees every night, then there really isn't much mystery there"

"So you do think he's sexy." The dead man could have smacked himself.

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to." Owen paused for a moment, before a thought struck him.

"Hey Tosh, would you like me to pick you up?"

" It's only 6:15. We don't need to be their until 7:30." Owen glanced at the clock.

"I know, but ,maybe we could grab a bite to eat, before we go see Tea-boy make a fool of himself.

Tosh bit her lip. Owen was asking her to dinner, of his own volition. She really couldn't pass this up.

"I'm game, but you do realize that you don't eat anymore right?"

The dead man groaned. He would look ridiculous not eating in a public restaurant. He went to say never mind, but Tosh spoke.

"On the other hand, I could just get a large order and set in in the middle of the table for you to play with while I eat." The doctor grinned. Leave it to Tosh.

"Cool. I'll be over in 10. What did you want?"

"We had Thai for lunch, so I was thinking Sushi." Bless her. His least favorite food.

"Perfect. See you in a few Tosh."

"Ok. Bye." The line disconnected, and the doctor cheered, nearly toppling from his upside down perch.


	57. Chapter 57: Choices

Gwen was in her closet, throwing one outfit after the other out. She simply couldn't decide on what to wear. On one hand, she wanted to look nice for Rhys, they were Newlyweds, she was still supposed to play the part of blushing bride. On the other she didn't want Jack, or Ianto for that matter, thinking that she was trying to make a pass. She groaned falling back onto the pile of clothes that had amassed itself on her bed. Her phone beeped, and she rolled over, expecting it to be Rhys's 'coming home' text. Instead it was a file from Tosh. A few buttons pressed, and all thoughts of clothes were pushed aside. There was no way that that was Ianto. The Welshwoman still couldn't wrap her head around Ianto being in a band, not like she believed that for a moment anyway. She heard the front door slam shut, and the sounds of Rhys banging around the kitchen.

"Rhys, is that you?" A crash, followed by a string of expletives.

"Who else would it be? And what are you doing home Gwen? I figured Captain Fancy would have you working until the wee hours of the mornin'" Gwen smiled, running into the kitchen and wrapping her arms around her husband.

"He let us all go early, seeing as how we are all going to a concert this evening." The paused, turning to his wife and pulling away.

"Gwen, please tell me that you didn't forget about tonight, and go make plan's with your mates from work." His heartbroken tone made Gwen pause.

"No you idiot, they are all going to the same concert. Blue Gillespie, tonight at 8." A bit of cheer returned to his eyes, but then it fell away again.

"I thought that it would be the two of us. You know, husband and wife, heading out to the pub to watch a band and get pissed." Gwen sighed, pulling out her phone.

"I know, but when I found out what I did, well the whole team really wants to see this band perform." Rhys leaned back, suspiciously eyeing his wife.

"Even Ianto? I mean this whole thing seems a bit out of his comfort zone. He barely ever goes out to the pub with you guys, and as for the music well. He just seems a bit staunch for that." Gwen burst into a fit of giggles, Unable to control herself. Rhys looked at his wife as though she had gone mad.

"What's the big joke?" The Welshwoman found herself unable to speak through her laughter. She simply handed him her phone.

Rhys looked at the image gracing his wife's phone with a mixture of horror and admiration.

"Please tell me that the coffee boy isn't sending you these sorts of pictures." Gwen dissolved into another fit of hysterics before composing herself enough to speak.

"No, it was Tosh." Even more confusion crossed the poor man's face.

"So Ianto and Tosh then?" The Welshwoman's eyes grew wide with horror.

"Oh GOD no. I really don't know where she found this picture, but, her and Ianto? No." She shook her head, vehemently denying the relationship.

"Who is he with then, Ianto?" Gwen crossed her arms playfully.

"Interested are we?" Rhys laughed.

"No, not interested. I'm just saying, if he doesn't have a girl, then I know a few that he would do well with-"

"He doesn't have a girl."

"Ok then, so maybe Taylor? You remember the blonde receptionist over at-"

"I didn't say he wasn't taken." Rhys froze, trying to process this.

"But you said that he didn't have a girl." Gwen shook her head, biting back laughter.

"Jack." Rhys's eyes grew wide as he pieced together what his wife was saying.

"Jack? Ianto and Jack. Captain Jack Harkness. They can't be a couple. I mean I saw that dance at our wedding-" Gwen flinched, remembering how Jack had gazed at her while he had danced with Ianto.

"I don't know Rhys. But believe me, Ianto definitely has Jack wrapped around his finger." Rhys grimaced slightly.

"And other things I'm sure." Gwen slapped smacked her husband's arm.

"Let's get ready then yea? We have an hour before we have to be there." Rhys nodded walking into the bedroom

"What was that thing you found out that made the whole team want to go." Gwen smiled

"You'll see."


	58. Chapter 58: See You Later

Ianto was running around his flat, trying to get everything ready for the evening. After much fighting with Jack. (These jeans are too tight Jack. Or, leather pants are not appropriate for a small pub gig Jack.) Ianto had managed to dress in something worthy of the stage. Tight black jeans and red T-shirt met with silken black waist coat and chain. The hybrid outfit had been Jack's idea. A way of merging his daily life with his life on stage.

"Can I come to watch you warm up?" Jack asked, while Ianto slipped on his shoes.

"Sure, if you sit at the back of the pub, don't make comments, and don't acknowledge that you know me." The immortal grumbled, tugging on his coat. Ianto stood wrapping his arms around his lovers waist.

"Don't be upset cariad. I just don't want to cause a fuss before we perform." The captain pouted.

"Cause a fuss?" The Welshman smiled into his lovers shoulder.

"You draw a lot of attention to yourself Captain Jack Harkness, I don't need that when I have to focus." The immortal laughed then.

"Are you saying that you find me distracting?" The Welshman stood back, grabbing his keys and heading for the door.

"Yes." He dashed out of the flat then, locking himself into the driver's side of the SUV before the captain had shut the front door. Jack stood there, openmouthed and slightly shocked by his lovers uncharacteristic act. He felt the happiness and pride welling from the Welshman, and decided not to argue, if Ianto wanted to drive, so be it. The immortal clambered into the passenger side, moving to turn on the radio, but Ianto stopped his hand.

"Come on Yan, you're driving, why can't I listen to my new cd." Ianto quirked an eyebrow, before starting the car and pulling onto the road.

"You do realize whining is not becoming of a man of your age." Jack pouted.

"I really like this band though." Ianto chuckled, shaking his head before turning his eyes back to the road.

""You're about to go see them live, isn't that enough?" Jack they neared the pub, the immortal felt a wave of unease from his lover.

"You still unsure about telling them about me?" Ianto blushed, the crimson glowing in the darkened car.

"It isn't you Jack. As corny as that sounds. I'm not embarrassed by you, or ashamed by you. I'm just worried about how they are going to take it." The immortal nodded, taking Ianto's hand.

"You go in, start warming up, get everything ready. I'm going to walk for a bit, keep myself busy until show time." The unease lifted slightly.

"Are you sure?" Jack squeezed Ianto's hand,

"Yes. I won't be too long. I want to see Rhys' reaction when he realizes that you are the lead singer of his favorite band." The Welshman blushed again, unfastening his seat belt quickly, he leaned over and kissed the immortal squarely on the lips.

"See you later." The both hopped out of the SUV, Ianto going into the pub, while Jack strolled along the sidewalk.


	59. Chapter 59: Meet Them?

The first thing that greeted the Welshman was the amount of people in the room. The pub was packed, not an empty seat to be seen abort from the table upfront labeled reserved. He swallowed a lump in his throat, pulling up the collar of his coat and dashing behind the stage.

"Ianto! Good to see that you could make it mate!" The guitarist slapped his shoulder.

"Yea, good to see you Anthony. What are we playing tonight?" Rhys came up beside him.

"We were going to let you choose. You're the one with your personal life on the line." Ianto shrugged, but couldn't help biting his lip nervously. He felt a flood of comfort and knew that Jack was trying to help calm him. Ianto pealed out of his coat, hanging it on a peg before turning back to his band mates. They all looked at him quizzically, as though he were some new and foreign creature.

"What?" The three men exchanged glances, each one smiling in turn.

"What's with the clothes man." Ianto looked down, trying to swallow his embarrassment.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" Rhys shook his head, grinning madly.

"Did your girlfriend dress you?" The Archivist paled slightly, but held his tongue.

"I told you, I don't have a girlfriend." Rhys nodded

"Sure you don't. You just randomly decided to add a waistcoat to your get-up. You don't happen to wear a suit at work do ya?" Ianto shifted uneasily.

"Yes. Now we should probably -." The bassist threw a fist into the air triumphantly.

"See? I was right! She does work with him!" Ianto rolled his eyes, grabbing the mic off of its stand and testing it.

"We only have 30 minutes until 8 guys. Let's figure out what we're doing, and after the show I may introduce you guys to my coworkers."

"We get to meet Ianto Jones' friends! I was afraid that we would only know Gareth." Another eye roll.


	60. Chapter 60: Warm Ups

Jack hadn't made it halfway down the street when he spotted Gwen. Her tasteful green tunic and brown jeans made the captain smile. She wasn't trying too hard. She was practically being dragged down the path by her Rhys.

"Rhys! Slow down! We still have nearly an hour before the show starts, and I don't want you drunk before then." Jack shook his head, catching Gwen's eye.

"He Rhys, Gwen, heading to the show already?" He asked and Gwen groaned.

"This idiot wants to see if he can get backstage early and meet the band." The captain's smile widened.

"So you haven't told him then." Rhys looked confused.

"Told me what?" Gwen spoke over him.

"I thought it would make for a nice surprise."

"What surprise?" He asked anxiously.

"So you've come to terms with it then. You believe us?" Jack put in, enjoying toying with Rhys.

"Not entirely, but I figured that I would give you the benefit of the doubt."

"What in the world are you guys talking about!" The man demanded, with Gwen and jack sharing a knowing look.

"I'm pretty close with the lead singer of this band Rhys. I've asked him to introduce us to the rest of them." Gwen giggled softly to herself, while Rhys's face took on a grin.

"Really? That's great! Thanks mate!" Rhys slapped the immortal's shoulder gruffly.

"So Captain, where is Ianto. Gwen said he would be coming?" Another look between the Captain and the Welshwoman.

"He's going to meet us at the pub." Jack said offhandedly, looking down at his watch.

"It's nearly 7:30. We should probably start down there to get our seats. Lord knows if Tosh and Owen are there yet." The trio started down the street, Rhys and Gwen hand in hand, with Jack walking behind. They reached the front door to the pub at 7:45, to find a queue forming outside the door. Jack's phone rang.

"Captain Jack Harkness."

"Jack, thank god. Look the line is ridiculous, and this bar is packed. Tosh and Owen are already seated, and I'm sending Nick out to collect you. Have you seen Rhys and Gwen?"

"Yea, I'm with them. We're in line. Which one is Nick?" Rhys' mouth fell open at that mention and he looked are Gwen excitedly.

"The drummer. Rhys'll recognize him." And sure enough, a man in jeans and a T fought his way through the crowd.

"Captain Jack Harkness?" He shouted and Jack raised his hand. The drummer waved him up, and Gwen and Rhys followed closely behind.

"Gareth said that you would know Gwen and Rhys?" The couple poked their heads out from behind the captain.

"That would be us. We have tickets." Gwen held them up and the drummer laughed.

"Not necessary ma'am. Gareth said to make sure the three of you got to your table alright."

Rhys and Gwen smiled at each other, before being dragged through the crowded bar to a table right before the stage. The sounds of tuning guitars could faintly be heard over the din of the crowd. The trio took a seat, Rhys with a look of sheer awe on his face. The drummer left them to chat, with 5 minutes until the show would start.

Nick returned to the band, a smile across his lips.

'Got her." Ianto looked up from his notebook, a last minute read over the songs that he knew so well.

"Who?" He asked quizzically, and the other's shared an equally as exasperated sigh.

"You're girlfriend. Everyone that you said would be here has shown up, and may I say she is pretty." Ianto snorted, rolling his eyes and standing from his seat

"Whichever one you chose, I can guarantee that you're wrong." Nick shook his head, grabbing his drum sticks from the table and taking one last swig of his beer.

"There are only two women out there Gareth." The archivist chuckled, sipping his water before shaking himself slightly.

"Show time. Glastonbury run-through minus Wiff. And dark stage until my cue on Making Sound." The band nodded, stepping onto the stage, with Ianto in the wings.


	61. Chapter 61: Show time

"You guys are late." Owen snapped, a glass of vodka before him.

"Crowds. And what are you doing with that? You remember what happen last time you drank?" Jack chided, both of the men shuddering at the memory.

"I'm not drinking. I'm letting it evaporate on my tongue. It feels wrong you know, to go to a bar and not have a drink." Rhys nodded, while Gwen simply shook her head.

"You too come together?" Rhys pointed at Tosh and Owen, the latter of which blushed softly in the pale light. She hadn't changed anything, of her appearance, save for adding lipstick and a necklace. To her ensemble"

"I'll take that as a yes. Speaking of together. Gwen was telling me about you and Ianto." Rhys turned to Jack, who smiled happily.

"Yep, I couldn't be happier." Rhys laughed, grabbing a bear from a servers tray.

"Good on you mate. He's a great bloke." Rhys looked around him, concern etching his features. "Speaking of, Were is the Coffee-boy?"

The lights went out across the bar, leaving the room nearly black. Every quieted, save for the clinking of glasses around the room. A small bald woman in tattered jeans and a skin tight tank top appeared on stage, a violet spotlight on her.

"Hello everybody. I am here to introduce tonight's act, a burgeoning young band from Cardiff, preforming songs from their new album, everyone give a warm Creoso to Blue Gillespie!" Cheers could be heard from around the room as the woman left the stage. A soft guitar stream filled the air and a forth figure filled the darkness. Jack felt Ianto panic slightly, the emotions of everyone in the room weighing down on him. Jack closed his eyes focusing in on Ianto and pushing every ounce of strength he had into the man.

_"Pob Lwc Yan." _Ianto felt himself nearly topple, before his lover's strength buoyed him onto the stage. He heard the guitar playing, and felt himself closing off to everything but the music and his captain. He could do this. He would do this. The lights snapped on, and his eyes snapped open as he began to sing.

Rhys choked on his beer, looking from the stage, around the table, and then back at the stage. Was he the only one who saw it? None of the others look shocked at the singer's resemblance to their tea-boy.

Gwen was staring up, her eyes wide with awe. She hadn't believed that the Welshman could sing, but it was definitely him on the stage. His voice flowing from the speakers around the room. She was impressed, he was amazing. His voice was melodic, and velvety, a rare talent for his music.

Owen was genuinely entertained. Tea-boy was a remarkably talented singer sure, but the band was equally as impressive. The guitar was strong, the bass line even, the drums incredibly well composed. This night really wouldn't be so bad.

Tosh was proud. Her usually so bashful best friend was on stage, in front of bar room full of people, singing as though there was no care in the world.

Jack was in love. He was gazing dreamily up at his lover, who was now singing a fast tempo song that had him moving and yelling and sweating. The pure joy and freedom that the normally reserved Archivist had in that moment was breathtaking. It was made more powerful by the bond that they shared.

Ianto sang. Everything else was gone from him then. Torchwood, Gwen, Jack, everything. IT was just the beat of the music and the lyrics and the sound, that made up his being at that moment. One song ended, and then another, and another, song after song, yet he didn't tire. He felt as though he could sing forever. Yet nearly as soon as it had begun, it seemed, it was over. The audience were cheering and clapping and taking pictures. Ianto could hear the rest of the band panting behind him. He came back to earth slowly, his adrenaline high leaving him as he caught his breath. Anthony gave him his cue to say goodbye, and he did so with a bow. He left the stage quickly, collapsing into a chair and chugging the bottle of water that appeared before him. He heard the noise of the bar return to normal, he felt his pulse slow, and senses return to him. Then His band appeared before him, all still slightly winded, but grinning broadly.

**pob lwc= good luck**


	62. Chapter 62: Clashing of Lives

"Ianto you did great man!"

" I've never seen you that passionate before."

" What's gotten into you?" Ianto chuckled.

"Passion is what's gotten into me. And you guys were amazing too. You always are." They all laughed at that, and Ianto stood on slightly shaky legs.

"So do we get to meet your work mates?" The Archivist rolled his eyes.

"Yes, let's get the crowds over with, and then we can all sit down and discuss how horrible I am to work with." That got a round of laughter, and the four stepped outside. Shaking hands and taking pictures and signing things until the crowd had thinned to people chatting excitedly, or kissing, or drinking away their sorrows. Ianto lead the band over to the group of Torchwood 3. First being greeted by a grinning Tosh, who leapt from her chair and wrapped him in a smothering hug.

"I'm so proud of you!" She squealed and Ianto laughed, hugging her tightly before stepping back. He could feel the amusement rolling off of the band behind him.

"I told you it was the Asian one." Anthony whispered to Nick, and the two men laughed. The Torchwood team looked confusedly at Ianto, who just rolled his eyes. Tosh seemed to pick up on this, as she laughed lightly and looked at them all.

"Ianto and I are NOT a couple. Honestly, he's my best mate sure, but really?" The three of them looked at each other confused.

"So it's you then." Rhys pointed at Gwen who broke into a fit of laughter before holding up her hand.

"I'm married to this lout thank you." She patted her husband's arm affectionately. Now they really look confused.

"Guys, this is Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, Gwen and Rhys Williams, and my boss, Captain Jack Harkness." Jack smiled widely at that, sensing that Ianto had an ulterior motive behind his introduction. The band's Rhys looked upset.

"But we thought you were dating someone at work. I mean everything points to that. And we all know that you've been hiding a secret girlfriend from us all." Ianto laughed. Walking around the table to Jack. The band watched warily.

"First mistake, assuming that it would be someone I work WITH." Jack stood, and a confused sort of recognition filled the band's eyes. "Second was that it would be a woman." They kissed then. The Welshman pulling his immortal to him by the lapels of his coat colliding together, lips and tongues affirming their connection in front of everyone. A few moments passed, before they heard a cough from behind them. The pair parted, both slightly winded and both blushing slightly. Ianto turned to his friends, who shifted uncomfortably for a moment. The Welshman could feel a mixture of shame, confusion, disgust, and oddly arousal, swirling from the men. It took a moment, but then Rhys smiled, dispelling the fear in Ianto's heart.

"Good on you mate." The Archivist felt happiness trickling from his friends, from the blinding amount that was coming from Tosh, to the slowly growing warmth from his band mates. Jack wrapped an arm around Ianto supportively, and then Owen spoke.

"So Tea-boy, care to explain to us how you managed to keep a band secret from all of us, and him-" He pointed at Jack. "A secret from them." Ianto chuckled, pulling a chair to the table, only to have Jack pull him into his lap.

"Really, Jack. There is a line." He blushed again, the gesture was so cute that he nearly didn't have the ability to protest. The Captain feigned innocence.

"If I by everyone a drink will you not move?" Jack pleaded, his begging following through their bond. Ianto rolled his eyes, before sliding off his captain's lap.

"No, though you can go ahead and pay for the drinks, I won't object to that. " That brought a round of laughs around the table, and even drew a grin from the immortal.

"So? With all that you spend at work, how have you managed to find any time to do anything?" Tosh asked, the double meaning apparent.

"When Jack was, on hiatus, I had a lot more time to available after work. Before that you guys really never noticed my leaving the hub in my stage clothes." Ianto shrugged. "I've only had one gig since Jack came back, besides tonight, and that was two days after Owen, um, came back from that illness." He glanced apologetically at the man, who shrugged.

"As for not telling you guys about Jack." He pointed at his band, who had just finished ordering their drinks. "You just assumed that I was hiding a girlfriend. It was easier to let you guys believe that than to explain him." He pointed a thumb beside him at Jack, who bit it playfully, earning a smack from his lover.


	63. Chapter 63: Coversations

"So what are you anyway." Gwen's Rhys asked, earning confused looks from around the table.

"I'm a man, if that's what you're asking." Gwen snickered and Owen shook his head.

"No like you-" He pointed between the two of them. "What are you guys together. Boyfriends, shags, live ins, did you get hitched?" Jack and Ianto shared a look of mutual horror, before Jack spoke.

"I'm his boyfriend, though I mean I do kind of live with him." Ianto laughed at the look of surprise rippling across the faces around him.

"And I'm his boyfriend, though I don't know about the kind of there." The immortal blushed. A few moments passed, no one knowing what next to say.

"So Jack, what did you think of that picture?" Gwen asked the immortal, who responded with a confused expression. Tosh joined in, the topic perking her ears.

"Yea Captain, what did you think of it?" Jack looked at his lover who just shrugged.

"What picture?" Gwen and Owen shared a look, before turning to the captain.

"The one Tosh sent you? The one Hart took?" Now Ianto was afraid.

"Please tell me that it wasn't of me." His plea went ignored.

"I sent it to your phone Jack." The captain pulled out his phone, noticing the message for the first time. Upon seeing the picture he looked over at his lover appreciatively.

"I really do like those pajamas Yan." The Welshman blushed furiously.

"Oh god. Please tell me he didn't." The band members pitched in.

"Who did what?" They looked expectantly at Ianto who sighed.

"Nothing." Rhys shook his head.

"it has to be something, otherwise you wouldn't be that red." Jack passed his phone around to the band members, who whistled and made cat calls.

"Who took that one." Anthony asked.

"Guy I know. Caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting him to be there, or have a camera phone. Frankly I wasn't planning on being there." Jack gathered is phone back, setting the provocative picture as his wallpaper. Ianto groaned inwardly. The waitress arrived with a tray full of drinks, passing them out around the table. Ianto sipped his lightly, laughing when the two Rhys's started in a drinking contest. Jack wanted to join in, as the rest of the men competed to see who could down the most liquor.

"But Yan, They are doing it, and you know that if you kill me I'll be sober again." Ianto rolled his eyes, sipping his drink and watching as Gwen poured another shot for her husband.

"There are so many things wrong with that. First off, the other men aren't you, and you are not them. Otherwise I would be a very confused man right now." Jack chuckled. "Second, I really do hate it when you die. It hurts too much. And we don't know what happens when you die with this new link." Jack swallowed. He had forgotten about that.

"And what's the third point." He croaked. The Welshman leaned in slightly his lips brushing his captain's ear.

"When you're drunk you're no fun in bed."

"How long will we have to stay here?" Jack whispered, and the Archivist smiled.

"My Rhys will cave after the next shot. Then Gwen's Rhys. Anthony and Nick are already too drunk to care who wins between the two of them, and frankly, Gwen has already put away twice as much as any of them. Anyway, My Rhys will go home after he loses. Anthony and Nick after him. I'll call a cab for Gwen and Rhys, and then we can go." Jack's brow furrowed.

"What about Tosh and Owen." Ianto chuckled, waving his hand around him.

"They left when the shots started coming around. If you want my bet they're at Tosh's house." Jack grimaced.

"I still don't know how that works." The Welshman shook his head.

"Does it really matter? I mean I can kind of understand your curiosity with the aliens, but let's not question the genius and the dead man." Jack laughed at that watching in astonishment as the bass guitarist caved, Gwen's Rhys shortly thereafter. He saw the three band member stagger away from the table with a few parting goodbyes. Ianto pulled out his phone, calling a cab and ushering Gwen and Rhys out to it. As they watched the car depart from them, Jack took Ianto's hand in his. The couple got into the SUV, Jack driving, Ianto in the passenger seat, the radio mercifully turned off.

They arrived at their flat, with Ianto barely awake in the passenger seat. Jack smiled softly at the sight.

_"He's exhausted." _Ianto stirred turning in his seat to face the captain.

"You sure Jack?" The sleep in his eyes betrayed his tiredness. The captain simply got out of the car, helping the Welshman into the flat. He undressed him, before putting him in the red silk pajamas that he loved so much.

"Jack-" Ianto began, then yawned. The immortal chuckled, putting on a pair of the Welshman's sweats before guiding him the bed.

"I do love those Pajamas Ianto." The Welshman laughed sleepily.

"It isn't like I'll be wearing them for long." Jack shook his head.

"Get some sleep Yan. It's late, and you've had one hell of a day." Jack sat down on the bed, pulling the covers back for himself and his lover. The Welshman crawled into them, sighing contentedly when Jack curled up around him.

"Thank you Jack." The Immortal smiled into his lover's shoulder, kissing his lover's neck softly.

"I plan on having quite a number of nights with you Ianto Jones." The Welshman grinned sleepily..

"is that a promise?" Jack's smile faded, as he felt his Welshman drift to sleep.

"I really wish that it could be Yan."


	64. Chapter 64: Morning Matters

Owen laid still, watching the subtle rise and fall of Tosh's shoulders as she lay sleeping. The soft light from the window glowed faintly over her bare shoulders, and he reminisced on the night before. An interesting experiment, that had left him wondering where they were currently in this unique relationship. The dead man made to leave the room, unsure of how the technician would react to find him still there, when she stirred.

"Owen?" She grumbled, rubbing her forehead. He smiled, the sight of her, wrapped in her sheets, hair tangled around her, was enough for him to imagine a twinge in his non-beating heart.

"Yea Tosh?" He said stepping closer. She seemed to squint around her, a calculating look crossing her features.

"You're still here." He frowned, so she did want him to leave.

"Yea, sorry, I'll be going." He opened the door, when he heard her stand.

"No, it's fine. I'm just a little surprised is all." She wrapped herself in the sheets, with a slightly bashful glance at Owen. He smiled to himself before turning and facing her again.

"What Tosh? Can't a guy ogle a girl while she sleeping?" The technician pulled a face.

"That's creepy Owen." But he could tell that her heart wasn't in the statement. "Anyway, we have work, and we are probably already late." Owen shrugged.

"Does it really matter? No one will be at the HUB until at least noon." Tosh seemed to consider this, before shaking her head.

"I'm still going in Owen. Aside from you, I'm probably the only one capable Owen of working today. Besides, we need to check up on Fall and Glib." The doctor grumbled something unintelligible, before heading from the room.

"Fine! Have it your way! Let's just hope that nothing happens today, or we are all going to be screwed."


	65. Chapter 65: Wake Up

**Author's note: Another major M chapter. Again I must apologize.**

Ianto awoke with a start, his breathing ragged and his pulse racing. He could feel someone pressed against him, petting his hair and murmuring to him.

"Shh, Yan, it's ok. It was only a nightmare. It's ok." The Welshman felt a wave of comfort flow through his body. He sighed deeply, snuggling back into the figure behind him, surprised to find a layer of cloth between him and the usually bare flesh of his lover. He glanced down, only to find himself dressed. The memories of the night before flood him suddenly, overpowering the comfort and the lingering fear from his hellish dreams. Jack had been kind to him. More than kind, he had been downright loving. The Welshman knew how hard it must have been for the usually insatiable captain to restrain himself, and a rising warmth spread through him. With that warmth, he found, came quite a bit of arousal.

"Jack." He whispered, a twinge of lust filling the word. The immortal paused in his gentle stroking of the Welshman's hair, unsure of the implications the word contained.

"Feeling better?" The Captain opted, trying to keep himself at bay. Ianto rolled over, facing his captain with dark eyes.

"A lot, thank you." The Welshman reached a hand up, absentmindedly trailing burning patterns across the cool skin of the Immortal's back . Jack's breath hitched in his throat. The response didn't go unnoticed to Ianto, who smiled broadly. "It appears that I need to thank you for last night. I was so exhausted that I remember falling asleep in the SUV, and nothing much after that." Jack looked nervously at the Welshman.

"Yea, you were pretty out of it. We came inside and went to bed." The captain shrugged. Suppressing a shiver when the motion caused Ianto's fingers to dance across his bare skin.

"A pity. I remember how much you were looking forward to that night." The Welshman's voice was low and rough, each syllable sent shivers down Jack's spine.

"You were not in any kind of condition to do anything but sleep." The immortal stated, as though he were quoting a line that had been well rehearsed. Ianto moved his fingers forward, inching back so that he could run them over Jack's chest.

"I seem to be doing much better now, sir." The captain felt himself stir as his lover growled the title.

"It appears so, though I should probably see just how well you're feeling. I don't want anything happening to you." Ianto pushed Jack onto his back, fingers waltzing over his skin as the Welshman moved on top of his lover.

"Something has already happened I'm afraid. Though I do believe that you know how to fix it.

Jack's breathing sped up rapidly, as he felt his senses fogging over.

_"Damn. How does he do this to me?" _A chuckle, deep inside the recesses of his mind. Ianto bent his head over his lover's ear, warm breath burning the skin it touched.

"I can hear you sir." Jack grinned, turning his face to that of his lover.

"Are you going to answer my question?" Ianto pulled back, looming over the captain.

"Make me." In a flash Jack had switch places with the Welshman, leaving him breathless and pinned.

"If you insist." The immortal sat, for a moment, contemplating the man beneath him. For what felt like ages, to the Welshman at least, he simply sat thee. His arms crossed, as he gazed at Ianto. Then, in the blink of an eye, he descended upon his boyfriend. The immortal deftly unfastened Ianto's silk shirt, managing, miraculously, not to pop a single one. Ianto made to rid himself of the garment, but Jack pinned his arms down.

"Not going to happen. You won't answer my question, you get no say in what I do." As if to prove this point, the immortal leaned in, teeth raking raised lines over the Welshman's now exposed chest. Ianto hissed. Jack looked up suddenly, afraid to have harmed his lover, but the flush of his love's cheeks and the way felt the Welshman's breath catch at the action, spired the immortal forward. With one more brief glance at Ianto, he bent forward, biting sharply, the tender skin of Ianto's neck. The Welshman yelped in surprise. The immortal ran his tongue over the red mark he made, soothing the flesh wile sucking on it lightly. Ianto made to grab at Jack, and again he was met with restraint.

"Try again, and I'll tie you up." Ianto froze. Was Jack serious. He looked into his captain's eyes, and reached out through their bond, only to find that indeed he was. Instead of fear though, the Welshman felt excitement. Bondage was something that they had never tried, though he often hear Jack fantasize about it. Naturally he had always been apprehensive about it, but now… The Welshman struggled against Jack's hold once more, pulling his arm up and stoking the immortals side. Jack looked down at his lover, and saw the challenge there, waiting for him to take it on.

"You asked for it." Jack pulled at Ianto's shirt sleeve, yanking the red garment off of the Welshman. He quickly tied it around Ianto's wrist, pulling it and the wrist up over the Welshman's head. He looped it through the metal bars of the head board, before glancing back down at Ianto. He felt a flicker of fear pass through the man as he grasped his wrist, but it passed, pure desire feeling it's place. After fully securing Ianto's hands with his shirt, the immortal glanced down at the man before him, before whispering.

"Blue Gillespie." The Welshman nodded, remembering the safe word, but silently promising not to use it. Jack returned his attention to torturing his lover, his tongue lapping at every tender or sensitive spot across the whole of the Welshman's torso. Ianto writhed against his bonds with every touch, surprised by how limited his mobility was when faced with the silken bonds. Jack's teasing came down to Ianto's waist line, the low rising pants allowing a the immortal to trace his tongue across the tender skin of the Welshman's hips. Jack pulled back the waistband of his lover's pants, slightly annoyed with himself for leaving Ianto's underwear on the night before. HE could see the Welshman's need straining against its confines, which were already darkening in places. The immortal smiled.

"Are you going to answer me now?" Jack said, swirling his fingers across the fabric of Ianto's pants. The Welshman didn't dare to speak. "Ok then. I guess that I still have to persuade you." A wicked grin appeared on the immortal's face, further pulling at Ianto's arousal. Jack too felt the increase in desire from his lover, as he bent forward once more, mouth latching over Ianto's as his fingers caressed the Welshman's length through the cloth. The contact had Ianto moaning, with his lover swallowing every sound. Jack's skilled fingers brought the Welshman higher and higher, before he stopped. Jack rocked back, releasing all contact with Ianto. The Welshman met Jack's mischievous grin with a look of absolute horror.

"Jack. Please." Ianto rasped, but the captain simply looked at him.

"Please what Yan?" Ianto jerked forward roweled, annoyed by his captain's cocky attitude, and pushed further by his intense and burning need.

"I need you sir." The Welshman said straining harder against his bonds. Jack wanted to prolong this moment. HE wanted to make Ianto beg and pleaded and writhe, but he could feel for himself the fire in his lover's veins, and the painful need at his core. The immortal stood, divesting himself of his own clothing, before removing Ianto of his. HE paused then, memorizing every line and curve of the man before him. From the tense muscles to the sweat beaded brow, the captain committed every inch of the sight before him to memory, every inch of the man he loved. The immortal kissed Ianto again, this one less demanding and more passionate. Jack straddled Ianto once more, both men groaning when their arousals brushed briefly together. The overheated skin burned at the contact. Ianto backed then suddenly, as though possessed. He pushed his hips upward and ground them against the captains.

"Ianto!" The immortal gasped, caught off guard by the sudden contact. He felt Ianto climbing quickly to the brink. Jack pulled away, stopping Ianto from gaining his much needed release. The fire was through both of them now, neither one able to keep control for much longer. Their one needs were doubly intensified by feeling the other's. Jack scrounged desperately through the bedside drawers for the bottle of lube. He nearly howled in triumph when he found what he wanted. He poured the contents onto his fingers watching as Ianto parted his legs in anticipation. One finger breached the Welshman, earning a loud gasp.

"Jack. Please." Ianto panted once more, his whole body archer upwards, begging for release A second quickly joined the first, neither man worrying about prolonging the effects, each simply wanting release.

"Need you now. Want you now." He was begging. Exactly what Jack had been craving earlier.

"Not prepared enough. 'll hurt you." Jack rasped. But Ianto was beyond reason.

"Don't care." Jack looked into Ianto's nearly black eyes, and felt the burning need ripping at him again. With one final 'Are you sure' He prepared himself, before plunging into his lover. The Tightness and heat was nearly too much for Jack, who tried desperately to hang on. Ianto himself felt his vision darken further, as the sensations rippled through him.

"So tight." Jack rasped, as Ianto quivered around him. A buck of the hips and Jack moved, his climax so fast approaching. A few more strokes and Ianto screamed, ribbons of white covering his chest. The selfsame stars danced across the captain's eyes as Jack filled his lover. They collapsed then, Jack next to Ianto, who shivered in his bonds. For a few moments neither man could speak, the simply remained motionless. Then Ianto groaned, tugging once more at his binds.

"Jack. Untie me." He murmured. And the captain pushed himself up on shaky arms. He went to undo the knots of the Welshman's sleeves, releasing his lover of his bonds. Ianto rubbed his reddened wrists slightly, before closing his eyes.


	66. Chapter 66: The Call

"No work." Jack groaned, wrapping his arms around his lover. The Welshman was inclined to agree. He felt sleep creeping along the edges of his consciousness. Apparently the captain had a similar feeling, as his breathing slowed into shallow snoring. A shrill ringing sounded from the living room, jolting both men awake. The immortal grabbed his gun from the dresser as the noise continued. Ianto laughed at the frightened look on his lover's face.

"Jack. It's the phone. Ignore it and come back to bed." Ianto pulled back the tangled blankets and patted the bed.

"Shouldn't we answer it though? What if it's the HUB?" Ianto groaned.

"If it was the HUB, they would call your cell phone. It's probably Mrs. Jenkins calling about all the noise we were making." Jack smiled. The ringing stopped, but the immortal was already wide awake. He sauntered, naked, into the living room, and listened to the message left on the phone. His eyes widened with horror.

"Ianto, you need to get up now." Jack called rushing back into the bedroom and ripping the blankets off of the dozing Welshman.

"Why Jack? You said yourself that we aren't going to work today. At least not until later. And I'm tired." To emphasize this Ianto simply rolled over, burying his head under his pillow.

"No, but you really do need get up. And-" The immortal ran his eyes over the room, resting at the stained sheets and Ianto's prone form. "God Ianto, what are we going to do." Ianto rolled over once more looking up warily at his captain. Very rarely had he ever seen Jack this distressed.

"Jack. Who called. What did that message say." Jack froze, having picked up the pile of laundery from the floor.

"Your mom. And we have about half an hour before she gets here."


	67. Chapter 67: Work Ready

Owen sat in Tosh's kitchen, his eyes glued to a paper that he had yet to read a word of. The dead man couldn't bring himself to look up. Tosh was running around her flat, getting ready for the day. He risked a peak, and saw her slip a shirt over her head, her hair still wet and tangled. She pulled a comb from between her teeth, ripping it through her hair in a way that made the dead man cringe. He noticed her glance over at him, and he buried himself back into his paper. He heard her fall onto one of the chairs, quickly pulling on a pair of heels, before pushing herself back up. She stood, before turning to Owen.

"Let's go. I'll grab a pastry on the way, but it's nearly 11 and no one is at the HUB." The slightly panicked edge to this statement brought the dead man back around. He stood tossing the paper behind himself as he grabbed his jacket from the armchair.

"Alright then. I'll drive."

Gwen sat in her living room. A glass of water and a bottle of pills before her. The pounding in her head tempted her to simply drink the whole bottle and forgo the consequences, but common sense denied her such a blissful reprieve. She shook out two pills wincing as the noise rang through her head, and downed them with a swallow. She glanced at her watch, squinting to see the time in the far-too-bright glare of the living room. 11 o'clock. Damn. Gwen stood slowly, and headed to the door. With one last glance at her husband, still sprawled out on the floor, she left.


	68. Chapter 68: Introductions

The Welshman scrambled to the door, sheer terror ripping through him. His mam? Now? There was no way they could make themselves presentable. And Jack was still here! He felt a hand grip his shoulder, another wrapping itself around his hip.

"I'll clean, then you can take a quick shower and get dressed. We'll go from there." Ianto nodded, his mind racing at what was going on. He rushed through a shower, threw on the nearest set of clothes and took one look in the mirror. Fear ran through his body at the site of the deep purple bruise forming on his neck. Not even the collar on his shirt covered it up. He briefly considered a scarf, but denied it. Maybe he could pass it off as a left over from some chick at a bar. But even then he felt that it was wrong. He couldn't deny to his mother that Jack was his, he couldn't deny it to anyone. The man in question came into the room, and winced at the sight of the bruise.

"Yan shit I didn't-" He reached a tentative finger to the mark, but Ianto shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. Get dressed, and hurry. We have-" A glance at the clock. "15 minutes before she gets here, and we still don't know what we are going to tell her." Jack nodded, hopping into the shower. Ianto didn't bother with shaving, instead opting to brew some coffee. Jack had done a remarkable job at cleaning the house, not a single thing looked out of place. He felt, more than heard Jack hop out of the shower, as a car pulled up to the flat. A soft knock at the door and Ianto shuffled over to hit, pulling his collar up as high as it would go. Another round of knocking before Ianto came to himself enough to open the door. A small round woman with jet black curls stepped across the threshold, her arms throwing themselves around Ianto's neck.

"Ianto! Oh how I've missed you! Sut mae?" Ianto disentangled himself from the grasping limbs, opting instead to hold her hands.

"Da iawn, Diolch. A chithau?" The woman smiled.

"I'm fine Yanny." Ianto stepped back, taking the woman's coat and hat and placing them on the rack. The woman glanced briefly at Jack's coat, before turning to Ianto.

"You have a guest?" Before Ianto could respond, Jack appeared, fully clothed and miraculously dry. The Welshman dared to admire the speed in which the captain had readied himself, before snapping back to reality.

"Yes, mam, this is Captain Jack Harkness,-" He paused, the subtle of looks from the captain.

_"Friend. Lunch" _The Welshman caught.

"My friend from work. He's over for lunch, since we don't have work today." Mrs. Jones seemed to except this, as she tottered into the living room and sat gracefully in the armchair.

"Nice to meet you Captain, I'm Ianto's mam." Jack smiled, walking over and shaking her hand.

"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Jones." The woman clucked her tongue, folding her arms over her ample bosom.

"Now now dear, It'll be Gwen to you. I'm not yet old enough for Mrs. Jones." Jack smiled and Ianto bit back a laugh. brought over the three mugs of coffee.

"The pizza will be here shortly" Jack the corner of his mouth twitching at the Welshman's seamless cover.

"Great." He took the mug from Ianto, being extra careful not to let his hand brush his lovers, or his eyes linger.

"So, Jack, or would you rather Captain Harkness?" Jack smiled.

"Jack is fine ma'am." The woman nodded, the same look of calculation rolling across her face that Ianto often had. The resemblance there was uncanny.

"Jack then, Where are you from?" The immortal grinned sipping his coffee and glancing over at Ianto briefly. The poor man was nearly as nervous as the captain was.

"America, originally. Though I traveled for a long time, and I've spent the majority of my adult life in Cardiff." Mrs. Jones nodded once more.

"Ydych chi'n siarad Cymraeg?" She asked, her head tilted inquisitively. Ianto groaned inwardly at the question, unsure of how his mother would react to Jack's answer.

"Ydw, tipyn bach. I'm afraid I haven't picked up more than a few useful Welsh phrases. Yan does most of the talking at work." Too late, the captain realized what he had said, as he felt the fear flood him from Ianto. He lowered his head guiltily, But Mrs. Jones didn't seem to have noticed the slip up.

"Does he now?" There was something there, both men could see, a feint twitch of her lips and a spark of amusement in her eyes. Ianto reached out to her, but found that he couldn't read her at all, that knowledge disturbed him.

"Mam, What brings you here all the way from Ponypridd?" Ianto asked, trying to calm his nerves. He wanted nothing more than to tell his mother that Jack was his boyfriend, yet the other half of him kept dreading that moment.

"A bit of shopping. That and I thought that it would be nice to see my son, you know, since you never visit." Ianto looked down guiltily.

"You know I work a lot mam. This is my first day off that I haven't been ill." The Welshman felt a surge of guilt from Jack. Both men fought valiantly to keep from reaching out to one another. Both wanting something of the other to hold onto, if only to calm their nerves. They sat there for a few moments, simply enjoying each other's company, when another knock found the door. Unconsciously, Jack went to open it, a habit of his was to order dinners for the two of them, but Ianto gave him a look and stood, pulling some money from Jack's wallet on the counter. He felt a rush of amusement and slight annoyance from his lover, but ignored it. It was Jack's idea for lunch, Jack would pay. The Welshman paid for the pizza before shutting the door. Ianto went to place the pizza on the table, as per his usual custom, but a reproving glare from his mother sent him spinning on his heels to the kitchen. Jack stifled a laugh at that, trying desperately to keep himself in check. Neither he, nor Ianto were quite ready to tell this woman about their relationship, and he didn't want to make anything worse by flubbing up.

"Here you are then, pepperoni, sausage, and-" The Welshman wrinkled his nose. "Anchovies for Harkness." He handed Jack the plate, mindful again of the slightest brush of their fingertips.

"Thank you." Jack said softly, taking the plate. Ianto straitened quickly, two more plates In hand.

"And a cheese, pineapple and olive pizza for you, mam. I apologize for the food selection. If I would have known you were coming sooner, I would have gotten something a bit less-"

"Normal?" Jack said, swallowing a bite of food. The Welshman shot him a warning glare, but Mrs. Jones simply chuckled.

"Yanny, Pizza is fine. Though why aren't you eating anything hearty? Look at Jack over there-" She waved at him. "That is what a man should look like. You're getting to thing." Jack laughed at that, he couldn't help himself. The way that his Welshman was blushing was simply too cute for words.

"I'm perfectly fine Mam. I simply care about my arteries." He glared disapprovingly at the greasy pizza in the Immortal's hands. In truth his stint in Brecon Beacons had put him off eating meat, something that Gwen teased him over. Of course if his mother knew that he had been locked in a room with a fridge of human flesh, then beaten and bled to join its contents, she would probably find it a wonder that he ate at all. Naturally this was one of the things that she would never know about.

"Before you sit down dear, could you go out to my car and fetch me something? There is a shopping bag in the passenger side." The Archivist nodded, taking a quick bit of pizza before heading out the door. Mrs. Jones turned to Jack, and smiled warmly.

"So how long have you been sleeping with my son?"

**Welsh phrases: Sut mae? = How are you? Da iawn, Diolch. A chithau = I'm fine, thanks. And you? **

**Ydych chi'n siarad Cymraeg? = Do you speak Welsh? **Ydw, tipyn bach = Yes, a little.


	69. Chapter 69: Error

Tosh and Owen had driven to the HUB in silence. Neither one knowing what to say. Their relationship had taken an unknown turn, that both of them struggled to understand. Upon arriving at the HUB, Owen had simply disappeared into the Autopsy Bay, while Tosh booted up the computers. No warnings or rift alerts were apparent, and a cursory check of UNIT's reports showed Glib and Fall were safely on their way. The technician walked up to the tourist office, getting it ready for the day, when she saw that the usually dormant desk phone had two messages. Curious, she played the first of the two.

"Mr. Jones, this is Gertrude Mayweather. I do hope everything went well after you left. Olive bets that you guys actually made it home before you jumped him, but I doubt it." Tosh blushed. Gertrude was definitely a lot like Jack.

"Anyway, I wanted to call about that little surprise we had for you. It appears that Olive's hip is in a real state, so it will be a few weeks before she's back up to dancing." Another voice in the background.

"You old twat! You just let them in on what the surprise was." Tosh laughed, those two were a riot.

"Don't mind her, she's just cranky because she can't have sex until she feels better. The sound of shattered china and a string of Japanese left Tosh giggling.

"So, basically, you and Captain Fancy Pants will have to wait for that. Call me back when you get this." The line went dead. Tosh was about to play the second message, when Gwen stumbled through the door. She had a pair of oversized sunglasses on, and her steps were sluggish, almost lurching. The fact that she had chosen sensible flats over her usual boots was more than enough to let Tosh know just how hung over the Welshwoman was.

"Long night?" The technician asked, receiving what she assumed was an angry glare from Gwen. The woman looked around her.

"Ianto late again?" Tosh snorted shaking her head.

"I believe that they're taking the day off." Gwen nodded, then gripped her head as the motion sent it swimming.

"After last night, I figured that Jack would propose. Hell he might have, it isn't like we would know about it." Tosh laughed at this, finishing straitening the office before walking with Gwen back into the HUB.

Owen glanced up from his perch in the Autopsy bay, only to see the clearly hung over Gwen leaning on Tosh.

"Well Mrs. Williams, can I just say that you look like absolute rubbish this morning." His voice oozed sarcasm. Tosh glared at him and Gwen flopped into her chair.

"Can it zombie. At least I can still have a hangover." Owen stuck out his tongue, which wouldn't return back into his mouth. He spun away, trying to hide what had happened from the girls. The last thing that he needed was Gwen teasing him over this. Tosh seemed to notice his struggle as she distracted Gwen.

"So UNIT says that Glib and Fall are on schedule, but I'm not reaching Lieutenant Ulric, and their tracker is offline. What do you think?" Gwen shrugged.

"It sounds like a communication error to me. maybe your computer is bugging." The technician doubted it, but began a systems check anyway.

"I hope that you're right about that. I don't want anything happening to them. Ianto would kill me." Gwen looked quizzically at Tosh, but shrugged. She didn't know why Tea-boy would be upset over the lives of two aliens, but she doubted that it mattered.


	70. Chapter 70: Mother's Love

Jack choked on his bite of pizza, fighting back the panic and shock that the woman's statement brought.

"Excuse me?" He gasped. The woman simply rolled her eyes and crossed her arms_. _

_So that's where he gets it from._

"You heard me Captain. How long have you and Ianto been sleeping together?" The immortal sputtered for an answer, when the Welshman came rushing into the room, two armloads of shopping clutched to his heaving chest. He had ran. _"Jack what's the matter?" _The Welshman screamed through their bond.

_"She knows."_ A mask of sheer terror formed on the Welshman's face, before he buried it.

"Mam, please tell me that you weren't interrogating my friend while I was out." Again the immortal was amazed by his lovers ability to act as though nothing had happened.

"No mab, I was simply trying to get to know him better." The woman tossed her son a knowing look, but mentioned nothing.

"Care to share Jack?" The faintest hint of fear was felt, but a wave of courage fell behind it.

"She asked-" The immortal looked at the woman, who nodded. "She asked me how long we had been sleeping together." Ianto sighed, sitting down on the couch with his plate of pizza, not bothering too take a bite.

"How did you figure it out." The Welshman asked, his eyes searching those of his mother.

"Well it isn't like you've been very discreet about it. That thing on your neck was a dead giveaway." Ianto reached up and rubbed it slightly.

"It didn't necessarily have to be him though. I mean it could have been a girl-" The glare the Welshman received was enough to stop that train of thought.

"Don't lie to me Ianto Gareth Jones. I thought you were better than that." Ianto hung his head, embarrassed, and more than a little guilty. Jack risked patting his lover's hand.

"Ma'am with all due respect, how did you know?" A touch of amusement flashed through the elder Jones's features.

"Well, Ianto hasn't shaved, which he always shaves. But as things go, not a dead giveaway that he's sleeping with you." The immortal looked over at his lover, and noticed now the stubble on his chin. He had never really noticed how attractive Ianto looked with it. The Welshman gave the captain a stern look. Obviously he had noticed Jack's chain of thought.

" You called him the one when you spoke to him." The immortal looked quizzically at Ianto.

"The one?" He muttered, Mrs. Jones shook her head.

"Yan? It's one in Celtic. Though you probably just mean it as a shorting of Ianto. Anyway, you guys have been extra careful avoid physical contact sense I showed up. Lord knows that I don't want to contemplate what happened before I showed up. Oh and I think the big thing here is your outfit." She pointed at Jack, who simply looked down at himself, confused.

"My outfit?" The woman laughed.

"You're wearing Ianto's clothes dear. I bought him those jeans last month." Jack looked down, blushing, and Ianto smiled. He hadn't noticed it before, but those were defiantly his jeans. Just a smidgeon to tight on the top.

"So I ask again, how long have you two been sleeping together?" The two men looked at each other, before Jack spoke.

"Nearly two years. We, er, we weren't serious until quite recently." The woman nodded, before turning again on Ianto.

"And why, pray tell, would you keep this from me mab? Your own mother and you convieniently leave out that you're in a relationship? Here I was not two days ago thinking that you would never get over Lisa, and I come over here and find out that you've got a live in!" Ianto was blushing furiously.

"Mae'n ddrwg 'da fi, but I didn't know how you would take it." The harch edge in the woman's voice left, and she grabbed her son's hand in his.

"Is that it? You were afraid of me?" Ianto nodded, and Jack felt his throat constrict.

"I didn't want you to hate him. I don't think I could choose between you and Tad and Rhi, or Jack." The immortal found himself moving from his chair to the sofa, and an arm wrapping around his lovers shoulder.

"Do you love him mab?" Ianto smiled.

"Yes." She turned her warm brown eyes on Jack, fixing him with a kind smile.

"What about you captain?" Jack laughed.

" While I do have quite a bit of affection for myself-" The woman smacked the immortal's arm reproachfully. "Yes I love him. More than anything." Ianto was crimson, the immortal's confession to his mother a bit more personal than he had wanted to share. The Welshman's mother leaned back, a warm smile across her face.

"There you are then! Mab, if he's good enough for you, then it's good enough for me." She wrapped her arms around the two men. Squeezing them in a bone crushing hug. Jack sat there with one arm around Ianto and the other one awkwardly resting on Mrs. Jones' shoulders. He could feel a surge of relief, and contentment flooding through his lover. A few moments passed like this, before Mrs. Jones pulled away, with tear filled eyes.

"Mam? Are you ok?" The Welshman whispered, a tentative hand resting on her shoulder. Jack shifted in his seat. He really didn't know what to do. It had been nearly 80 years since he had last had this conversation, and her parents hadn't been nearly as understanding. The woman smiled.

"I'm fine Yanny. It's just my mab, my son, is in love." Her face took on a stern aspect, before turning to Jack.

"Now, you listen to me Captain Jack Harkness. This man is not made of glass, nor is he steel. I would believe that you've already discovered what he can and can't handle." The immortal nodded.

"I would also believe that you and he have already gotten into a row, or two." The two men shared a look of embarrassment.

"That's what I thought, it also makes me happy." Ianto frowned.

"Why, of all things, does that make you happy?" The woman laughed.

"You never fought with Lisa." The Welshman winced; terrors of his late girlfriend still haunted him. Every reminder of her reminded him of his betrayal. Jack tightened his grip on his lover, trying to soothe that ache.

"Whatever she told you to do; you did, because you didn't want to anger her. I knew mab, I knew. Now, though, you have a voice. You have a say in what goes on." The immortal chuckled at this.

"Yea, Yan, you defiantly have control." The Welshman smacked his lover reproachfully.

"My mam is here!" He hissed, but the elder woman just laughed.

"Don't change on my account! I've seen enough with the Mayweathers." Jack looked startled.

"Mayweather? That wouldn't happen to be Gertrude Mayweather?" Mrs. Jones leaned back.

"Yes, and her wife, Olivia. Why? Do you know them?" The immortal smiled.

"Know them? They set up Yan and my first date!" The elder woman looked ruffled.

"They never told me about that. I know that they know who Yanny is; I talk about you all the time. When was this date then? Two years ago?" The Welshman blushed again.

"Last week?" Mrs. Jones looked disapprovingly at the two men."

"Let me get this straight. You're first date was last week. You've been shagging-"

"Mam!" Ianto shouted, surprised.

"Is fornicating better?" The Welshman blushed a deeper shade of red, and his captain sat perfectly still, not wanting to draw any more ire upon himself.

"For nearly two years. What took you two so long?" The woman didn't seem angry, simply exasperated.

"Well we, err, our relationship wasn't exactly, umm. We weren't serious at first." The immortal managed. "And then one thing led to another, we had a, umm, misunderstanding about exactly what he meant to me, and well, when certain things were brought to light, I realized exactly what he was." Mrs. Jones shook her head, sipping her now cold coffee.

"He dumped you didn't he." Ianto winced again, that wound still fresh. That seemed to convince her of it.

"Often times it takes losing something to realize exactly how precious it is." An uncomfortable silence followed that comment, as no one knew what to say.

"So, are you going to tell Tad?" Ianto said, after taking a bite of his pizza.

"No, I think it's best that you do it. And in person. I know you aren't fond of that, but I think that face to face is for the best." The Welshman paled, a wave fear gripping his chest. His mother's reaction had been a shock, but there would be no way that his father would be so kind. He had made clear multiple times exactly what his thoughts were on this topic. Jack sensed the dramatic change in his lover's mood, and turned to him, concerned.

_"Is it that bad Yan?" _ The Welshman swallowed.

_"Yes. And much worse." _"Mam, you know as well as I do what will happen." The woman sighed, standing up.

"Yes. And I also know what will happen if he finds out from someone else. Just tell him, and –" Jack's phone rang, the sound making everyone jump.

"Sorry, it's Tosh." He whispered, and Mrs. Jones just waved him away. She turned to Ianto, and whispered.

"Mab, who is Tosh? Should I be worried?" She looked pointedly between the two of them, and Ianto's eyes widened.

"No! No, Tosh is one of our coworkers. Though if she's calling on our day off-"

"Yan. We have to go. I am truly sorry Mrs. Jones, but this is an emergency." The Woman simply shrugged.

"it's fine Captain. I hope everything is ok." She turned her gaze to Ianto.

"Remember what I said Yanny." She hugged him. Before pulling on her shoes. Jack finished his call, before rushing over and holding out the woman's coat.

"Thank you captain. I'll be seeing you all later. Give the Mayweather's my rearguards." She walked out the door, and Ianto fell back into Jack's arms.

"What is so bad with that we can't just go back to bed." The immortal stroked his Welshman's hair, before pulling back and kissing him chastely.

"They can't find Glib and Fall." The Welshman nodded, pulling away and grabbing his boots.

"Let's see if we can. Then we are coming home, and I am going to attempt tp avoid any other members of my family for the rest of my life." The immortal shook his head, slipping into his own shoes.

"it wasn't that bad. She seemed ok with us. I mean if she can put up with Gertrude and Olivia." He shrugged and Ianto rolled his eyes.

"Mam surprised me. Though when I tell Tad I don't want you there." Jack looked up at Ianto, startled."

"Why not?" The Welshman bit his lip, trying desperately to mask his fear.

"let's go help Tosh, ok cariad?" The Welshman snatched up his coat, rushing out of the flat.

**Welsh Phrases: Mab = son Mam= mother Tad= father Mae'n ddrwg 'da fi = I'm Sorry**


	71. Chapter 71: Speculation

Tosh was running rampant. She had tried every possible program in order to prove that what she had feared wasn't true. Yet everything came up empty. Finally she was forced to call in reinforcements.

"Look Jack, I know that you and Ianto want today off, but we have an issue." She heard the captain whispering to someone.

"How bad Tosh? We are a bit busy." The technician chuckled to herself.

"Not that busy, Ianto's mom showed up and-" Tosh paled, remember how freaked out the Welshman had been when he topic of meeting the parents came up.

"Mrs. Jones? Really? How did Ianto take it? I mean how did she take his being, oh, you know, YOU!" The immortal shook his head to himself.

"Not really the best time Tosh, I'm sure that you can ask Yan all about it later. Right now, what's the emergency?" The technician composed herself.

"Glib and Fall. UNIT reported them safely on schedule, but our contacts at the drop point never reported their arrival, and the tracker is off line." The immortal groaned inwardly.

"Alright Tosh. We'll be in ASAP." The line went dead and bit her lip. The gesture did not go unnoticed. Owen leaned against her desk, an air of nervousness hidden behind his nonchalant exterior.

"What's wrong Tosh? You're computer freeze?" Tosh shook her head, ignoring his sarcasm. He had avoided her all day, and after last night, she felt as though something had cracked in their relationship.

"Glib and Fall are MIA, and UNIT isn't responding. Jack and Ianto are on their way in now."

_Cold and clinical, just like the machines that she is so fond of. _The doctor crossed his arms over his chest.

"The lover boys pause for breath long enough to speak?" Tosh rolled her eyes.

"They don't just shag, you do know that Owen." The dead man flinched, her reprimand stinging him.

"Yea, I know, but you have to admit they do it a lot. I mean the number of times that I've stayed late in autopsy and heard them in the showers, or his office, or the firing range-" Gwen piped in from her desk.

"I caught them in the hot house once." Both Owen and Tosh turned at that.

"Seriously? You caught The Captain and Tea-boy shagging?" Gwen nodded, popping another handful of pills.

"Jack mentioned something about naked hide and seek, and Ianto had complained about Jack cheating, while trying to button his shirt." The dead man shook his head, amazed.

"Blimey, and just when I thought that a room was safe." Tosh cleared her throat, pointing at the screen before her.

"As fascinating as it is to here of Ianto and Jack's sexual exploits in the workplace, we have two creatures that we need to find." The sound of the HUB doors opening drew their attention, as a red eyed Ianto and a scowling Jack walked in.


	72. Chapter 72: Fumes

The car ride to the HUB had been awkward at best. Ianto was a bundle of emotions that Jack simply couldn't untangle. The immortal wanted to say something, anything, to calm the storm that was his lover, but nothing felt right. So he settled for sitting in stony silence, while his lover fought himself in the passenger seat. Once they had arrived at the HUB Ianto had leaned over to the immortal, resting his head his head on his lover's shoulder.

"Jack, I'm sorry." The Welshman whispered, and Jack had looked down in surprise.

"For what Yan? Morning sex? Because I am not complaining about that." The Welshman smirked, but his mood never shifted.

"For not explaining. But it's not something that I can explain, exactly. Just-" The Immortal twisted in his seat, pulling his lover to his chest.

"It's ok Yan. I know that you have to do what you have to do." The captain smiled. "And believe me, mab-" Ianto scoffed.

"Do not call me that." Confused, the immortal pulled back.

"Why not? Isn't it a Welsh term of endearment?" The Welshman shook his head, a slight smirk on his face

"No, it's the Welsh word for son." Jack's face fell into a mask of horror, as he sputtered for something to say.

"Seriously over 200 years in Cardiff, and you never learned the language?" Jack rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"Nearly everyone here speaks English. What Welsh I have picked up is only to help with the locals." The Immortal shrugged.

"When you managed to say a phrase to my mother, I nearly toppled out of my chair. I didn't know that you spoke any Welsh past,' hello, goodbye, and lets have sex." The immortal grinned at the Welshman.

"Well that last part is very useful." The Welshman leaned forward, his face a breath from his lover's.

"Thank you for behaving this morning." Jack smiled, the proximity of his Welshman muddling his thoughts.

"I did well did I?" The Welshman let his lips brush against the edge of Jack's jaw.

"Very. I was rather impressed." The immortal swallowed.

"Guess I'll have to do even better when I meet your Tad." Ianto pulled back, fear and anger over powering everything else.

' "You aren't coming Jack." The captain bristled.

"Why not? Are you embarrassed to have your old man meet me? Or ashamed of me?" Ianto opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, opting instead to simply get out of the car, slamming the door behind. The immortal scurried out of his own seat, anger and pain fueling him as he strode towards the Welshman.

"So that's it then. You're ashamed to have me meet your folks! Would you have ever let me meet your mother if she hadn't walked in on us?" Ianto kept walking tears burning his cheeks.

"You wouldn't have! Oh, and why not? I'm too old, you're too young, oh, is it that you don't want him to know what happened to his only son? That he's shagging a guy?" The Welshman turned at that, his voice cold and controlled, despite his raging emotions.

"I don't want you hurt, sir." The immortal felt all his anger leave him, he crumpled in on himself, a deflated balloon.

"Hurt? Ianto I-" The Welshman held up a hand.

"You are not coming to meet my Tad, because I don't want you to see what will happen. I don't want you in the crossfire, and I don't want you doing or saying something that we will both regret. Now, if you would please, we have work to do, and I really want to get all this UNIT drama over with." The Welshman wrenched open the door to the tourist office, ignoring all the confusion and disgust flowing from the people on the Plass. Jack ran up behind him, a hand tentatively setting itself upon his shoulder.

"Yan. I'm-" But the Welshman simply shook the immortal away.

"Forget about it, ok? Let's Focus on now, and not worry about the future." Jack nodded, but couldn't let this go. His Ianto being upset was unacceptable, but being upset over this, that he would have to fix.


	73. Chapter 73: Pteranodon Interference

The first instinct of the three Torchwood members was to stay out of the Captain's way, and avoid the Tea-boy until whatever had happened had cooled down. Unfortunately for them that wasn't an option. Tosh bit the bullet, diving strait into the issue at hand. She pulled a map onto the screen.

"UNIT reported the delivery complete at 06:00 this morning, however, our eyes at the drop off point reported that UNIT had not arrived, as of 10 minutes ago." She clicked the computer once more.

"Their tracker last reported being in Cardiff, but that was three hours ago." The immortal nodded, his arms crossed over his chest.

"So what do you think is going on?" Ianto stepped forward, zooming in on the map and narrowing his eyes in concentration.

"That area is right off the water. Probably a large number of warehouses and factories. More than likely UNIT owns some of them. My money is on them being held there." Tosh nodded.

"That was my initial thought, but something doesn't add up." Gwen swung her legs of her desk, standing with the slightest of wavers. Ianto could feel the residual pain from a bad hang over rippling off of her.

"Why? I know that Ulrich woman was a bit dodgy, but I don't see why she would risk breaking orders." A wave of fear came from Jack, and Ianto staggered slightly.

"It was me." Ianto shook his head.

"No, sir, as much as I know that you love blaming yourself, I have a feeling that she had prior orders to undermine our authority. That was my whole purpose in putting a distress beacon with them." Tosh nodded.

"That hasn't been activated. Do you think that they were harmed and can't use it?" The thought panicked the Welshman, but logic prevailed.

"No. Glib and Fall don't have a perfect grasp on humans or our workings. If UNIT has them in holding, then they would assume that it was part of procedure, they would trust them." Owen shook his head.

"What I don't understand is how it's taken us nearly a whole bloody day to figure out that something is wrong." Ianto nodded, the faintest of blushes filling his features.

"You're not wrong, we all have been a bit off lately." The Welshman glanced at the captain, who he saw glowering into space. "Any thoughts, sir?' The Welshman saw his lover flinch at the tittle, and come back to his senses.

"I feel like we're missing something here." Gwen shook her head.

"You just don't want to admit that UNIT can do something like this to disobey you." Jack bristled again, but a squawk from about drowned out his words. Myfanwy drifted down softly beside the team, causing all but Ianto to jump back. The Welshman put his hand forward, gently stroking the Pteranodon's beak.

"My Myfanwy. Hey girl. What's the matter cariad?" Myfanwy squawked again, softly, and nuzzled her head into the Welshman's hand. He noticed that he could fee; her nearly as clearly as he could Jack, though that slight twinge of pain still lingered when he did so. He felt urgency with each squawk and shuffle, as well as something akin to happiness at his touch. She took the corner of his shit into her beak tugging it gently and squawking again.

"Blimey Tea-boy? That Pterodactyl is your pet? I mean I knew that you fed her, but geese it's almost as if it's a dog!" The Welshman smiled softly She tugged again, and squawked back and Ianto."

"First of, she's a Pteranodon. Second, I think she's trying to tell us something." Gwen snorted.

"What, did Timmy fall down a well." The dead man laughed, and Tosh smirked, but Jack felt the Welshman's annoyance.

"Ianto, she keeps pulling on your shirt, and looking off." As if prompted, Myfanwy did exactly that, except with a little side step added to it. Her urgency grew and Ianto got the message

"She wants me to follow her." Gwen and Owen stared at the Archivist with open mouths while Tosh simply smiled. Whatever Jack had done to upset Ianto earlier, The Welshman had forgotten it now that Myfanwy was here.

"Do as she says. I wouldn't argue with a pre-historic creature if I was you." The Welshman chuckled.

"I argue with you all the time, and we still seem to be fine." The immortal rolled his shoulders, trying to physically lesson the blow of his lovers quip.

"Very funny. Now on you go, follow the Dinosaur an let's see what she had for us." The Welshman felt what his words had done to Jack, and he instantly regretted them. He turned and stepped forward to Myfanwy

"Alright girl, I'll follow you, now where are we going?" Before Ianto, or anyone for that matter, could react, Myfanwy scooped The Welshman up by the back of his shirt, and carried him up into the upper reaches of the HUB. Jack was shouting from below, Tosh and Gwen looked on in horror, and Owen pulled out a gun, ready to shoot her down. Ianto himself was startled, but he felt no malice

Or discontent from the creature. Only urgency towards her task, and affection directed at himself.

The captain seemed to sense Ianto's easy, as he turned to the others.

"I don't think that that is necessary, Owen." The captain pushed the end of the dead man's barrel down, but the doctor persisted.

"Tea-boy just gets high jacked by a dinosaur, and you bloody let him?" The immortal leaned in close to the dead man, looking him strait in the eye, and whispered.

"I don't think Myfanwy will hurt him, because Ianto says that she won't." The doctor wrenched his gun free and pulled back, holstering it.

"Fine. But if anything happens to 'im, I'll personally kill you." The immortal nodded trying not to laugh at how much like a brother Owen had become to Ianto.

Ianto landed in a heap at the mouth of Myfanwy's den. He saw now, what the creature had thought important enough to share. The Welshman stroked the pteranodon's beak once more, before calling down over the edge of the platform.

"You guys may want to get up here, and Owen bring your med bad, we're going to need it."

"Glib?" The Welshman whispered, and the pale purple mass quivered slightly. Ianto unbuttoned his shirt, laying it on the ground and rolling the tentacle mass gently onto it. Then came the hard part, discerning the injuries inflicted by Myfanwy with those inflicted by someone else. Myfanwy's were pretty strait forward. Three talon marks in the soft flesh behind a few tentacles. The other marks, fresh burns and sections removed, all seemed to be bleeding a thick blue liquid. The sight of it broke Ianto's heart.

"Glib, I am so sorry. I should have been able to stop this. I should never have let that fowl woman take you." The hollow clang of someone climbing the rungs of a ladder drew the Welshman's eyes behind him. He was greeted by Jack, his hands clenched in fists at his side, and Tosh, who was carrying Owen's med bag.

"Ianto. Please tell me that Myfanwy did all of that." Jack hissed through gritted teeth. The Welshman shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid not Jack. These three holes here are Myfanwy's but they don't seem to be that painful compared to the burns and missing chunks." The immortal advanced forward, fury burning in his eyes. The Welshman thought it directed at the pteranodon, and held up his hands.

"Jack, someone tortured him, and Myfanwy saved him. I don't know how she did it, or how she even knew how, but she did it. Now let's get him down to the autopsy bay so maybe Owen can save him. We have to hurry." Jack, cast one more wary glare at the pteranodon before grabbing the other side of the creature and attesting to lift him. The result was Ianto and Jack half dragging half carrying Glib to the edge of Myfanwy's roost.

"How do we get him down, he's too big to carry down, and He's too injured to leave up here." Ianto simply shook his head them at the immortal, before hitting a switch on the wall. a metal trough descended from the ceiling. A confused look was earned from both Tosh and Jack, but the Welshman simply ignored them, dragging his half of the alien into the metal trough. The immortal followed suit, before Ianto lowered the trough all the way down to the floor of the HUB. Owen appeared below them, he and Gwen hefting the creature onto a stretcher and wheeling him to the autopsy bay. Tosh and Jack descended quickly, while Ianto turned to his pteranodon and smiled.

"You did well today Myfanwy, Little lovely one. I'll bring you a chocolate later." He rubbed her snout once more, smiling at how affection and happiness filled his senses. "Good girl." She squawked at him once more as he descended the ladder into the HUB.

The Welshman saw Tosh and Owen rushing about trying to figure out how to treat injuries on a creature they knew little about. Gwen Had begun to full every available large container with water, and Jack came up to him with his arms crossed over his chest. However, the normally authoritative gesture seemed more defensive.

"Ianto, can I just?" He held a hand out for a moment, and the Welshman just looked at it, before sighing and stepping into forward. The immortal wrapped his arms around his lover, burying his face in the Welshman's shoulder.

"Yan, I'm sorry. I never should have let UNIT take them. I never should have questioned you." The Welshman hid his smile in Jack's shirt.

"We are going to fix this Jack. It wasn't your fault about UNIT. As for questioning me, well, we are both new to this whole relationship thing aren't we?" The immortal chuckled, pulling back from his lover.

"Well it has been a while. I mean the last time I was in a serious relationship-" The captain shook himself. "Let's just say it's been a while." Ianto shook his head.

"Before I was born right?" The captain grimaced. "Yea, thought so. Well at least you still have your looks sir." Jack laughed at that. Tosh walked over, hair pulled up and clothes rumbled, blue stained her hands.

"He's still alive, though barely. Owen is going to keep patching, but we've gotten most of the major issues fixed. I don't know when Myfanwy got him, but I'm glad she did" Ianto nodded, rubbing his bare arms absentmindedly.

"It must have happened when she was released for her evening flight." Tosh crossed her arms over her chest, confused.

"Evening flight? But doesn't somebody have to let her put for that?" The Welshman grinned.

"Not necessarily. I wrote a program that crosses weather and flight patterns, and lets her out when they coincide to keep her both safe and unseen. That way if I'm busy I don't have to worry about her getting cooped up." Both The technician and the immortal looked at Ianto with new eyes.

"That, that's brilliant! Ianto I never knew that you could program, and you would have to have built an automated system for the door." The technician spouted, flabbergasted.

"I built that feeding trough. The hydraulics for the door were already there, so it wasn't that difficult to-" Owen stepped out of the autopsy bay.

"When you too finish chatting over Tea-boy's apparent technological prowess, Glib is awake." Jack laughed again, Ianto rubbed the back of his neck, and Tosh simply blushed slightly.

"If you want, I could show you the algorithms I used later." Tosh smiled, nodding her head enthusiastically as the Welshman followed the dead man into the autopsy bay.


	74. Chapter 74: Awake

A series of gurgles and clicks were flowing from Glib, and Ianto scrambled for the translator.

"And then they took him away and they dragged me onto these hook things and-" Ianto held his hands out to the creature trying to calm him.

"Shhh, shh, Glib, listen shhh, I need you to slow down, and explain what happened." The creature shuddered again. Glib's gurgling slowed, as he tried to recount what had happened.

"Start from the beginning, ok?" The creature inclind his tentacles.

"After we left with those other humans, we traveled for a while, but not nearly as long as you had said that we would. the impolite female screeched something at the males in that were with her, and I tried to hit the distress thing you gave us, but before I could, one of the males was takeing it away from us. The screechy one yelled something else, and suddenly everything went off. I saw them pull Him away and then they dragged me, I couldn't move, onto these hook things that they poked through me. I fell off of them thouh my weight couldn't be held by something so flimsy. Then they came out with electric things and started touching them to me. It was so painful. I kept screaming at them, begging them to stop. Pleading with them to at least let me see Him, to not harm him. But they didn't stop. They simply dragged my outside of the building, near the water, were they sprayed me down with it. It felt good, help relieve the pain a little and it was nice to get some refreshment but apparently they didn't mean for it to be like that, as I wasn't screaming, the female had returned to me, and started screeching at me once more. " Glib fell back onto the autopsy bay bed, and Gwen poured another glass of water onto him. His color darkened a shade closer to normal.

"That's when the creature arrived. A primitive creature, but with such a sharp wit. She frightened the other humans away from me, before swooping down and ripping me up. It hurt, but not nearly as bad as when the humans had me, and I could barely feel it anyway. She kept apologizing," Ianto looked slightly taken aback, he could understand Myfanwy?

" for harming me, and for the behavior of the humans that had me. She said that not all humans were like that, and that her humans would fix me, they would patch me and keep me." Glib rested back on his tentacles. "She was right, that-" Glib gurgled something that sounded dangerously close to 'Myfanwy'.

"You understand Myfanwy?" Ianto asked.

"Yes, somewhat. Her thoughts aren't as developed and advanced as more sentient creatures, but there is some intelligence there. Every time I would wake up I would hear her muttering on about 'The nice man' or 'the Yan Toe.' I guess she was waiting for you." Ianto felt his cheeks warm, and a soft smile played on his lips. Myfanwy recognized him.

"Glib, you have my word that we shall try everything to get you Fall back." The creature inclined his eye stalks once more, before closing his eyes.

"I shall rest now. Thank you Ianto Jones."

The Welshman turned to face four concerned faces. Each one flooding him with waves of emotion. Owen was determination, the kind the doctor always had when something he cared about was hurt. Gwen was concern, the motherly kind that she had always been capable of producing mass quantities of. Tosh was sympathy, both for Glib and for Ianto. The Welshman could feel that she was worried about his entrance with Jack. Speaking of the immortal, Ianto felt pride, of an immeasurable amount exuding from his lover. With this pride came thoughts.

"Yan! My Ianto trained a prehistoric creature so well, that it saves the lives of alien species! And it knows his name!" Ianto felt himself blush, but didn't risk letting his emotions show farther than that.

"Ok, so. I'll check the maps and see were Myfanwy could have ended up snatching Glib. And make some coffee." He clapped his hands, and walking off to the kitchenette. Tosh scurried to her computer.

"I'm going to check the UNIT database to see what information or orders have been given." Gwen pulled out her phone.

"I'll call the station and see if anyone has noticed any extra UNIT personnel anywhere near the docks. They hate UNIT almost as much as they hate us, I'll bet that they've spotted the, somewhere." Jack nodded.

"Let's go see if I can go call them out on their bluff." The immortal left them all, intent on making his phone call to UNIT, as well as another, more personal one. Owen stood in the center of the HUB, alone, while the other team members went about their various tasks.

"Yea well I'll be over here, you know, making sure that Glib doesn't die or anything." But no one was listening. Tosh spared him a glance and a half smile, before turning back to be reabsorbed into her work.

Jack sat in his office, his phone in his palm, as his fingers hovered over the buttons. He wanted to make this call, to ask these questions and help his lover, but he knew that he was risking incurring another bought of the Welshman's wrath. Ianto had been through so much in his life, especially in these past few weeks, that the captain didn't want to see him have to go through anymore hardships. His mind made up, he dialed the number, hoping for some answers.

**Author's Note: I may not be able to post for the next week or so. However, this does not mean that I',m abandoning this story, on the contrary. I promise to finish it, regardless of what happens. **


	75. Chapter 75: Tension

Ianto brewed a batch of coffee, mindful of making an extra mug. He heard someone stepping through the door, and felt a wave of guilt and remorse wash over him, along with a thread of compassion.

"You have to know, I was the one who last checked on them Ianto. I was the one who said all clear." Gwen stood there, her hands behind her back as she rocked on her heels, her head cast down.

"It's not your fault Gwen, we've all been off our game. We are all to blame for this happening, so don't take it to heart, yea?" The woman nodded, and the Welshman felt her guilt ease, as warmth flowed through her once more.

"I brought you a shirt from the lockers. I figured you wouldn't want to wear your other one, or run around shirtless all say." Ianto blushed again. Noticing for the first time the state that he was in.. "Though I doubt our captain would mind." As if to accentuate this point, they looked up, to see Jack gazing down at Ianto, phone to his ear. He felt anxiety and anger pouring of his captain, but chalked it up to his usual UNIT feelings. The Welshman laughed slightly, taking the shirt from Gwen and pulled it on.

"Have you found anything out about were UNIT could be?" Gwen chewed her lip nervously.

"No. UNIT has actually been keeping a low profile. Not one person has seen anything of them all day." The Welshman nodded, pouring each coffee while he mulled over this news.

"Do you think Tosh has made any headway?" The Welshman lifted the tray, and shrugged.

"Anything's possible. Though I think that we would make more progress if Jack can get through to UNIT." Gwen nodded, pulling her mug off of the tray. They walked out into the HUB, to see Tosh nearly screaming at her computer.

"You worthless, no good, bloody, wanker!" She smashed her keyboard onto the floor. Ianto sidestepped the projectile component.

"I take it that you haven't had any luck with UNIT." The Welshman said, setting a mug of coffee on her desk. The technician turned, her breathing ragged and her fists clenched at her sides. She heard a cough, and saw the shocked expression on Owen's face and her cheeks warmed.

"No, I've been blocked at every turn. UNIT obviously does not want us knowing what's going on, and I cannot get past them, no matter what I try." She slammed her mouse down once more, frustrated by her lack of success. The Welshman patted her shoulder reassuringly, before picking up her keyboard and examining it.

"Well this one isn't going to be of much use any longer, let me get Jack his coffee, and then I'll get you another one." He tucked it under his arm, turning on his heels and walking up the steps towards said office. Gwen disconnected her keyboard, passing it over to Tosh.

"It may be a while before he comes back, best if you use mine for now." Tosh nodded, hooking up the new keyboard and stating a satellite scan of Cardiff. She would find UNIT if it meant destroying dozens of keyboards in the process.


	76. Chapter 76:Nightmare

The phone rang for a few breaths, and Jack nearly hung up, but then a warm and motherly voice filled the line.

"Hello? This is Mrs. Jones." The immortal swallowed the lump in his throat and stood, pacing behind his desk.

"Umm, Hello, Mrs. Jones, it's Captain Harkness." A slight laugh filled the line.

"Oh yes! Yanny's boyfriend. What can I do for you mab?" The immortal smiled to himself over the use of the welsh word.

"Well, ma'am, please forgive me for this, but I wanted to know about Ianto's Father." He heard a sharp intake of breath on the line. " I know it isn't my place, I do, but I'm worried. Ianto was really upset and frightened by the though of having to tell him about, well, us, and ma'am I cannot stand to see him upset." The captain heard the sound of a car pulling over.

"What has Ianto told you?" Jack could hear a slight hint of worry in her voice , but it was quickly dismissed.

"He won't tell me about it, just that he doesn't want me meeting him, because he's afraid I'll get hurt." He heard the rustling of fabric, and then another shaky breath.

" Ianto's father is a very, well, let's say traditional man. He has made his opinion on the topic very well known throughout home. Back when he used to drink, he would get, physical with Yanny. Thought he was less of a man because he was more intellectual, and he would sing, and he never brought home a girlfriend. Used to say that he would beat him into being a man." Jack felt his throat constrict as he looked down at his lover, who was pouring coffee now, shirtless and totally unbothered. Right after saving yet another life. He felt rage pouring into his heart, that anybody could harm his Ianto.

"When Ianto met Lisa, everything changed. Jonathan stopped with the beatings when he was drunk, Ianto stopped hiding so much, everything seemed to be getting better. Then Ianto left, and we never really saw him again. He would pop in for Christmas's with Lisa, but he wouldn't stay long. I think Jonathan drove him away. He's sober now, and he's apologized to Yanny for all that he did, but there was something broken there, that I don't think can ever be fixed." Jack saw Gwen and Ianto look up at him, and he stepped back, unable to meet the Welshman's gaze.

"So Ianto is afraid that." Jack couldn't voice it, it hurt him too much.

"Yes, he's afraid that when his father finds out about you, he will elapse into hurting him again." Jack swallowed the bile rising in his throat. His Welshman had been through so much, and now he was trying to protect Jack from it all.

"You wanted to send Ianto to the man, face to face, knowing exactly what Ianto thinks will happen." The immortal heard another rustle of fabric. And this time the woman's voice wavered slightly.

"Jonathan has changed Jack, and I wanted you to you could keep there too, so that you could keep Yanny safe. I didn't realize that he would want to protect you from that, or that he hadn't ever told you." Jack plopped back into his chair, anger and compassion swirling through him.

"Well now I do know, and there is no way that my Yan is facing this alone. Tell me though, Mrs. Jones, why Ianto has to be the one to tell his father?" There was a pause and then,

"Because Ianto can take it, and I can't." The line went dead then, and Jack tossed it angrily into its cradle. The Welshman walked in then, two mugs of coffee balanced on a tray, and a keyboard under his arm.

"I believe that means that UNIT has been less than helpful." The immortal paled slightly. In his quest to help his lover, he had completely forgotten about UNIT.

"Err, yea, I'm about to call them back and ask what the hell is going on." The Archivist gave his captain a quizzical expression, having felt the apprehension in the statement.

"That wasn't UNIT was it." The immortal paled further, and finally crumbled. Standing back up once more, he walked over to the Welshman and wrapped him in his arms protectively.

"Oh Ianto, why didn't you tell me." The Welshman pulled back, his hands on the immortal's shoulders as he searched his lover's eyes.

"Jack, who were you talking to?" The immortal bit his lip, nervousness coiling in his stomach. "Jack, you know that I know you're nervous. I just want to know why. What didn't I tell you?" Jack lunged forward, kissing Ianto fiercely. The Welshman squeaked in surprise, but soon fell into the kiss, his lips melting with his lovers as Jack reassured himself of his partner. Proved that he was real.

"_I called your mother Yan. She told me what happened. I never knew, and I am so sorry." _Ianto pulled away his fist colliding with the side of the captain's jaw.

"You WHAT?" The Washman screamed. Jack stood there, stunned, holding his jaw with one hand, the other in front of him in an attempt to placate his lover.

"I was worried about you. I just wanted to know why you were so afraid." Ianto ran his fingers through his hair, trying to cool his temper.

"I told you to forget it Jack. I told you that I would deal with it."

"But, Yan, he could hurt you. If I was there, I could at least defend you keep you safe." The immortal saw the Welshman tense, as he stepped dangerously close to Jack.

"You don't need to protect me Jack. I put up with him for 19 years. I can handle it once more. You think that I'm a stranger to pain? Do you think that I can't take it? Because I'm not. I may not have been around for hundreds of years, but I've been through so many things. Did you ever wonder about the cannibals? Why I simply stayed quiet and took it? Why I didn't complain when I got back?" Jack froze. No he hadn't. In fact, that night he had just dropped Ianto off at his flat and left, only to find himself there the next morning when the Welshman hadn't come in. He remembered his horror at seeing him unconscious on the floor, his breathing shallow and blood pooling on the carpet. The immortal shuddered.

"Yan, I never thought that-" Ianto nodded sitting down on the couch with his face in his palms.

"Yes Jack, you never thought. It seems to be a theme with you." The Welshman looked up, only to catch sight the purple bruise blooming on his lovers cheek. The sight brought bile into his throat as he reached a tentative finger out to it.

"God, Jack, I-" He swallowed, words failing him. The immortal felt the despair and pain in his lover and knelt down in front of him.

"It's ok Ianto, it'll go away in a few moments." But Ianto shook his head.

"No it isn't ok Jack. Can't you see? I'm turning into him! This is the second time if hit you in the space of a week." The Welshman swallowed, fighting for control over his emotions.

"He was the monster that haunted my nightmares long before I met real monsters. Even now, amidst dreams of Cannibals and Daleks, he still shows up, and rails at me. I can still remember every word, and every blow that I got for when I did something he didn't like." The immortal took Ianto's hand in his, holding it over his injured cheek and looking the Welshman dead in the eye.

"You are nothing like him. You have hit me a total of 3 times in our relationship, and I've deserved every single one of them." Jack's other hand found its way onto Ianto's knee. "Compared to other relationships I've been in, you're a saint Yan. Hell John and I used to have knock down drag out brawls over who would do the dishes. And that was before this whole immortality thing." Ianto managed a smile at that. "We are a couple now Ianto, it isn't just a title either. Couples face challenges together, and I aim to be by your side for this." Ianto nodded.

"So how much did she tell you then." The immortal sat on the couch beside his lover, and was relieved when Ianto didn't shrink away.

"She said that when your dad was drunk, he would beat you for being, err, effeminate." The Welshman snorted derisively.

"She always did look for an excuse for him." The captain's eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" Ianto sighed.

" Tad drank, sure, but he wasn't a drunk by any means. Truthfully he was usually sober when he

decided that I was due for punishment." The immortal felt another flare of rage at the injustice.

"What could possibly drive a man to do that?" The Welshman chuckled, a sat sort of chuckle that twisted Jack's heart.

"His favorite saying was that he already had one daughter, he didn't need another one." Jack felt a burning hatred flood his emotions. Ianto must have felt it too, as he put his hand on the immortal's. "Jack, I know that it isn't fare, but he truly did think that it was for the best." The captain's heart once more went out to the Welshman.

"_Are you really so perfect as to defend those who harm you?"_ Ianto smiled softly, and moved his hand onto the captain's chest, just over his heart.

"I defended you." There. Just three words and the Welshman had completely flipped the whole conversation on its head. The immortal floundered for an answer, his entire argument deflating before him.

"but, I love you!" The Welshman smiled.

"And I'm sure he did too, in his own way. Don't get me wrong, I don't hold anything against you. I know that you had your reasons for what you've done, god knows that most of it was well deserved. But the thing is, in his own sick and twisted way, so did he. " The immortal rubbed his temples, and looked again at his Welshman.

"You're the guy who routs for the villain in a movie because you feel like he's misunderstood, aren't you." Ianto smiled again.

"Well in Norse Mythology, Loki, the trickster god-" Jack held up his hand.

"I've seen the movie. I get your point." Ianto's brow furrowed.

"Movie? There isn't a movie about Loki. Documentaries sure but not a movie." Jack tried not to smile.

"There isn't a movie yet. I forget, you know, my years. I'm in the right century at least." The immortal expected to see shock, but was only greeted by understanding. "You're not even going to question what a 51'st century man was doing watching 21'st century movies?" Ianto shrugged, standing up again.

"It's a bit off topic, but, considering that we are already constantly remaking movies, and we've only had cinema for a around 100 years, I'd imagine by the 51'st century, you would have run out of ideas completely." Jack snapped his mouth shut, closing off a comment about the TARDIS and the Doctor's movie taste.

"Back on topic then, are we going to do this then?" The immortal felt a pang of fear from Ianto, but the Welshman nodded.

"Yes, but later. We have work to do now."


	77. Chapter 77: What?

Tosh sat at her computer, trying yet again to hack into UNIT's database in order to retrieve their files. Owen sat in the autopsy bay There was a loud smacking sound and Ianto's outraged exclamation.

"Sounds like the Captain stepped on Tea-boy's toes again." Owen muttered, checking Glib once more. Gwen snorted leaning back in her seat.

"I wonder what he did that has Ianto angry. I mean I've very rarely seen Tea-boy pissed, so it would have to be something pretty big." Tosh nodded, chewing her lip as she continued her battle with the computer. Gwen kept prattling on.

"Maybe Jack had a secret lover." The technician roller her eyes.

" I seriously doubt that. And Ianto would know anyway Jack has never been able to hide anything from him before." _And now that they can read each other's minds, the captain will have no secrets. _Owen laughed.

"Maybe Jack is pregnant. That would certainly mess with Tea-boy." Both women looked at the doctor with matching expressions of abject horror.

"What kind of a sick fuck are you?" Gwen hissed, Owen looked at her quizzically.

"What? It isn't like it's not possible. We all know that Ianto has boned Jack more than once, and our 51st century captain is capable of carrying a kid." Tosh shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but Gwen just laughed.

"Alright, you had me there for a second, but that's ridiculous. Jack is a bloke! Last time I checked, unless it's a special circumstance, ta man could not carry a child." Owen grinned, his lips curling over his teeth.

"Well our captain here is a special circumstance." Gwen opened her mouth and then snapped it shut, unsure of how to process this information.

"So you're trying to say that Jack Harkness could get pregnant?" Owen sat back.

"I'm not trying to say it, I am saying it." Gwen covered her mouth, unsure of what to say.

"Gwen, relax, I highly doubt that Jack is pregnant. There is enough estrogen in the rain to keep him from conceiving. Captain irritable probably just pissed off UNIT and Ianto has to fix it. Nothing major." The slight flitter in her voice belayed her doubt. In truth, the more the technician considered it, the more plausible the thought became. _Could their Captain be pregnant?_


	78. Chapter 78: That's How You Do It

Ianto walked over to Jack's desk and dialed the phone.

"Yes. This is Ianto Jones with Torchwood Cardiff. I need to speak with your commander." Jack looked quizzically at Ianto. UNIT was notoriously rude and aggravating. It took Jack hours just to get to the right extension.

"Yes, hello Simon, how is everything?" The immortal's jaw fell open.

"You're on a first name basis with the commander of UNIT?" The Welshman held a finger to his lips and then used it shut Jack's gaping mouth.

"I'm fine Mr. Jones. Harriet has been driving me crazy, but that's women for you." Ianto looked over at Jack, who's expression was priceless.

"I know the feeling, believe me." He heard a laugh over the line.

"You got a Mrs. Jones then?" Ianto smiled, eyeing his lover.

"Nope, just the Mr. He keeps me on my toes though." Another laugh over the line, and Jack again impersonated a fish. Ianto pulled away from the phone, holding his hand over the receiver and looked reproachfully at the immortal.

"Stop it Jack, You leave your mouth open like that you'll catch flies." There was a gasp over the line, and the Commander's voice hissed into Ianto's ear.

"Jack then? It wouldn't happen to be Captain Jack Harkness would it?" Ianto blushed.

"That's the one, but, well, you know how it is Simon." There was another laugh over the line.

"Yea, Don't worry Lad, I won't tell. Though now that you mention it, that does explain the Captain's call back tone." Ianto sighed pinching the bridge of his nose and glaring halfheartedly at his lover.

"Yep, been , umm, meaning to change that." Jack caught the gist of the saying, and tried to smile at Ianto.

"I think it's sweet. At least it's honest. Now, tell me, this isn't a social call is it Mr. Jones?" Ianto sat down in Jack's chair earning a shocked glare from the immortal.

"I'm afraid not. You remember how we had your men transport our two refugee's to the Mediterranean?" The sound of rustling papers.

"Yes. Lieutenant Ulrich's assignment. She reported their delivery right on schedule. Why? Is something the matter?" The Archivist bit his lip, trying to frame his answer properly.

"We have evidence that suggests that the refugees are in danger. We would like their immediate return to Torchwood, for their protection. " Jack looked at Ianto, more than a little impressed. He had managed to snare UNIT in their lies, without ever incriminating them. Ianto heard the more papers, and the sound of muffled whispering from the commander.

"UNIT is more than capable of protecting the fugitives Mr. Jones. Just inform us of the whereabouts and origin of the threat, and we will deal with it." Ianto took a deep breath.

"Commander, you know that isn't possible. You also know what it would look like if UNIT does not cooperate with us." He heard a swallow over the line.

"Are you accusing us of what I think you are Jones? Because that is WAY over your pay grade, regardless of who you're shagging." Ianto felt anger roil over him, but kept his voice cool.

"I'm not accusing UNIT of anything Simon. I just don't want there to be any issues. If you think that UNIT is better equipped at caring for Glib and Fall, then by all means keep them. Just send me the address of where they are, and I'll come check on them, just for the paper work's sake." Jack smirked at his lover, proud of the conniving way that he had manipulated his opponent.

"That's err, classified Jones. You don't have the authorization to know about that." Ianto smiled cruelly.

"But Captain Harkness does. So tell me, would you rather me know about what's going on, so that I can smooth it all over and clean up loose ends, or would you rather Jack go barging in. You know how much of a loose cannon he can be."

"Fine, Jones. I'll fax you the address. I would rather deal with you over Harkness any day."

"How about you tell me the address now, so we can go ahead and get this over with." There were some growling over the phone.

"Fine, pier 17 building C. They will be moved there within the hour." The line went dead and Ianto grinned at Jack, standing up from the chair.

"And that is how you deal with UNIT, sir." The immortal stood himself, clapping slowly.

"That was amazing. Absolutely, to quote an old friend, Fantastic. How?" The Welshman picked up the two mugs of cold coffee and looked back at his captain.

"Chess. I'm quite the fan. He backed himself into a corner, I took advantage of it." The immortal went to pull his lover into his arms, but two mugs of coffee blocked his path.

"Later. I need to get surveillance on that pier, and you need to start prepping the SUV. I want you guys to tale me and be ready in case they cause any trouble." Jack nodded stepping back.

"Can you just answer me one question?"

"What?" The Welshman eyed him skeptically.

"When did I start taking orders from you?" The Welshman smiled, leaning in to kiss the immortal.

"When you started getting into my pants." The immortal stood there, grinning madly, while his lover left the room.


	79. Chapter 79: If You Were Wondering

Gwen and Tosh were still suffering from shock and worry when Ianto and Jack walked back out of the office. They noticed the soft smile on the Welshman's face fall as he looked between them. Ianto could feel there concern, and it rolled in his stomach.

_ "_What happened, what's wrong?" The Welshman said, rushing down the stairs. He followed everyone's gazes up to Jack, and saw again the fading bruise in his jaw

"Shit Tea-boy? What did you do? Hit him with a chair?" Ianto blushed and cast his eyes down. He felt horrible fir having hot Jack, it didn't make it any better that Owen thought it was bad.

"No, just his fist. Got a hell of a right hook, my Ianto." The Welshman blushed deeper at Jack referring to him as such. Gwen was chewing her lip and Tosh kept grazing his eyes over Jack, as if trying to scan him for something. Owen just nodded. The dead man knew that if the captain had actually been pregnant, Ianto wouldn't have laid a hand on him. This wasn't shock, this was anger.

"Get anything out of UNIT captain?" Jack shrugged, stepping behind Ianto and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Not a word, however, Ianto here asked his good friend Simon, who has graciously agreed to let Yan check on both Glib and Fall , who are being moved to a "Safe" location to protect them from danger." Tosh looked quizzically at the pink cheeked Welshman.

"Danger?" Ianto shrugged.

"I may have hinted that we knew of a danger to the two in an attempt to have them transferred here, if they weren't in on Ulrich's workings, they would have agreed to it. Instead they negotiated to have me look in on them in a totally new setting, alone, in about an hour." Gwen looked mortified.

"That screams trap. Like obvious trap. You aren't actually going to go in, are you Ianto?" The Welshman shrugged once more.

"I really don't have a choice. Tosh, here is the address, can you pull up the CCTV and satellite images from that location for me?" The Welshman continued, as if unbothered by the obvious danger he faced.

"What I want to know is when Tea—Boy got on first name terms with a UNIT commander, and why he decided to jack Jack's jaw?" The Welshman took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"I knew Simon from Torchwood London. He was leaving for UNIT when I was starting. He trained me, and we hit it off. Went to the pub a few times, he and Harriett, Me and Lisa. After Canary Warf he offered me a job at UNIT, but told him no. You know the rest of that story." Ianto said, the slightest twinge of sympathy coming from each team member.

"As for clocking me, well I overstepped my boundaries a bit. Did something I shouldn't have, and stepped pretty hard on his toes." The immortal blushed, but the Welshman felt something else, a word hovering amidst all of the people. _Pregnant. _His eyes widened in horror as he but the word into the context of the emotions around him.

'_They think that you're pregnant."_ Ianto passed urgently, and the captain's smile fell slightly.

_ "I'M NOT Yan, don't worry. I've been relying on more than the rain for it too, so don't go getting any ideas." _ The Welshman smiled inwardly, resolving to clarify the situation amongst his co-workers.

"What Jack meant to say, is that he called my mam, about asking to meet my father." Owen looked fearful, and Tosh clutched a hand to her throat subconsciously. Both had guessed that the Archivist had been abused as a child, and both knew that it was a sore spot of conversation for the Welshman. Gwen, however, didn't seem to see these points.

"You decked your boyfriend for talking to your mother?" Jack bristled, not liking the hostile tone of the Welshwoman.

"That isn't the reason Coo-Williams." Jack corrected, still not used to her being wed.

"oh? Then tell me what excuse does the Tea-boy have?" Ianto swallowed his emotions, turning once more his cold glare upon the Welshwoman.

"He asked her about a very sore spot from my childhood. One that I am about to have to confront once more. My tad doesn't know that I'm-about Jack." The immortal wrapped an arm around the Welshman lightly. "And he is the biggest Homophobe in Cardiff." Gwen curled back slightly.

"Ianto and I are going to deal with him later, right now we need to get ourselves ready for UNIT. I don't want them to hurt fall or Ianto." Everyone nodded, shaking themselves from their thoughts.

"Oh, and for those of you wondering, Jack is not pregnant. Thank you Owen, for freaking the girls out about that one." Everyone turned on the Welshman, shocked that their thoughts had been said aloud. The Archivist grinned sheepishly, not liking the rapt attention that he was receiving.

"Oh what. You heard me yell. Owen always like to make a big fuss over Jack's ability to produce offspring, and You were all staring at him like he was some sort of lab experiment. It wasn't THAT hard to figure out." The explanation seemed to placate Gwen, and even Tosh to some extent, but Owen was still eyening the Welshman suspiciously. A series of beeps issued from Tosh's computer, and the technician turned to her keyboard, fingers moving gracefully over the keys. The image of UNIT vehicles arriving at the pier filled the screens, and the team gathered around. CCTV footage of the areas showed one white van ,without any markings or identification, pull into the compound.

"That's them. Can you run a search on those tags and see where it's been?" Jack asked the technician, who obliged. Ianto slipped away from the group, anxious to get himself ready to meet UNIT. Jack noticed his lover slip away, and moved to follow, but Owen was already there. This fact concerned the immortal, but he let it slide. Obviously the dead man had something private he wanted to discuss with the Archivist, and if Ianto wanted to share, he would do so later.


	80. Chapter 80: Helpful Harper

Ianto stood in front of his locker, sorting through his suits for one in a suitable condition to wear. He felt someone behind him, sensing only concern and sympathy instead of hearing the person's arrival. Plucking a suit from the collection, black with a red shirt and black tie, he turned only to be greeted by a very cross looking Owen.

"Owen, what do you need." The Welshman sat the suit down, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Well do you want the 'I'm your doctor you should have told me about past traumas' or the 'Shit mate, you're going to have to have Captain Innuendo meet your family.'" Ianto sighed, shedding his shirt and buttoning on the dressier one he had chosen.

"Can I go for, mind your own bloody business and let me handle my own private life?" The doctor snorted.

"Oh please. Your private life is nonexistent. Seriously though, didn't you ever think that maybe you should have told me about this?" Ianto bristled.

" What do you mean by this?" The doctor raised his hands out to the sides, waving them around.

"Your abusive childhood? I mean gees I'm your doctor and-" The dead man stopped short, looking fearfully at the Welshman. Ianto had his hands clenched at his side, his face pale, and his lips drawn severely tight.

"I never said anything about abuse. Not one word that has left my mouth mentioned abuse." The Welshman's tone was deathly calm, which had the doctor cringing backwards slightly.

"I sort of assumed, from your previous behaviors and reluctance to have Jack meet him i-"

"Am overstepping yourself. I know that you were there for me when Jack and i- the other day, and I appreciate that. Now is not the time for it. I need to get ready to meet UNIT, you need to watch Glib, and then, when all of this is over, I'm going to go get myself disowned." Ianto snatched up his suit and stormed from the room, leaving the doctor with his hands on his hips. Owen wanted to be there for his friend, he wanted to help, but it was clear now that Ianto didn't want any. _This is going to be something that that idiot tries to handle alone. _


	81. Chapter 81: Oops

Jack stood in the HUB between Gwen and Tosh, no one saying a word. A few moments passed before Gwen finally turned to the immortal.

"Ianto was beaten as a child wasn't he?" That sent the captain around. Unknowing how to respond, he simply stood there, until Tosh spun in her seat to face him.

"I was thinking the same thing. He shows all of the signs of someone who has been through deep personal trauma early in life. Not so much that it affects his daily life, but it's noticeable. Like his drive for constant perfection, indicating a near compulsive need for order.

"Or his desire to be the best at everything."

"Or the fact that he doesn't trust easily, and that, when he does, he's loyal to a fault." The captain simply stood there, trying not to let slip his lovers secret. These girls could theorize all that they wanted.

"That also explain his scars." That brought Jack around.

"Excuse me?" Tosh looked at him inquisitively.

"His scars? I know that you know the ones that I'm talking about, the crisscross pattern on his back." The immortal knew these scars well, he had lain awake many a night tracing them with his fingertips, or gazing at them as he took his lover again and again.

"Those are from Canary Warf." Jack said decidedly, his voice slightly hoarse as the memories related to the scars stirred inside him.

"There is no way those are from Canary Warf Jack. They're too faded. Why? Is that what he told you?" The technician looked softly at the immortal. Jack thought back. _Ianto had never actually stated where the scars were from, he had never mentioned come to think of it._

"No. No he never said anything about them, I just assumed that he got them there." Tosh nodded, and Gwen rocked back on her heels.

"I've seen them too, once or twice. Mind you the first time I saw Ianto shirtless I had other things to think about." The Welshwoman looked pointedly at Jack, who grinned at her.

"That offer for naked hide and seek still stands, but you'd have to bring Rhys. I don't think Ianto would be too happy if you were running around the HUB naked and he ended up catching you." Gwen rolled her eyes.

"As handsome as Ianto is, I'm married now." The immortal nodded, but his grin remained.

"So if you weren't married you wouldn't mind playing naked hide and seek with Ianto?" gwen opened her mouth, but couldn't answer, she had never really thought of Ianto as anything more than an extension of the HUB or Jack's shag. Her thoughts came to an end, however, when Tosh spoke up.

"I wouldn't mind." Both the Captain and Gwen balked at that.

"Tosh?" Gwen whispered, and the Technician blushed.

"What? He's saved my life on numerous occasions, he's handsome, and frankly, he's got the best arse in Cardiff." The captain laughed at that.

"You've got me there, he does have an amazing ass. Though I'm sorry to say, he's taken." Tosh giggled.

"Yes, we all know Jack. If I didn't know enough, I helped get you two back together!" The immortal smiled wider.

"And I will forever be in your debt for that." Jack wanted to say more, but a searing wave of white hot rage poured through him, doubling him over and ripping away his breath.

"Jack!" The girls called together, Tosh leaping from her chair and placing her hands on the Immortal's shoulders, while Gwen pulled Tosh's chair around, setting the man in it.

"Jack, what's wrong, what's happening." Gwen was panicking, thoughts of pregnancy still at the forefront of her mind. As suddenly as it had appeared it was gone, and Jack slumped in his chair, feeling nothing but regret and agitation coming from his Welshman. Tosh knew immediately what had happened, contributing everything to the telepathic bond the two men shared.

"It's nothing Gwen. While you were gone Jack suffered from, err, a telepathic attack. This must be an aftershock." The immortal nodded, grateful for the technicians cover.

Ianto Jones struggled into his suit while he walked down the hallway. He knew there were more graceful ways of getting dresses, but he was upset, and wanted nothing more than to get out of the HUB and into the open air. As he stepped into the main area of the HUB, and was frightened to see a very pale looking Jack slumped in a chair.

"Jack!" The Welshman shouted, dashing over to his lover's side. "Jack, what happened?" The immortal looked over at the Archivist, taking Ianto's hand in his own.

"Just a headache. Tosh thinks it's an aftershock from our, err, recent telepathic event." The captains eyes shifted pointedly to Gwen. Ianto felt his stomach fall. He had done this to Jack? How?

"Are you ok then?" _"Are we going to be ok?"_ The immortal smiled softly.

"Yep. We have work to do." The Welshman flinched, worried to hear his own dismissal thrown at him. Something was definitely not ok.

"Alright then Sir. Would you like me to make some coffee before we head out?" The captain debated this for moment, before waving it off.

"Naw, you may as well head out. We'll be right behind you in the SUV." Ianto swallowed the lump in his throat. Jack never declined coffee.

"All right then." The Welshman nodded, fixing his tie and straitening his sleeves, before walking over to the HUB door. He cast one final worried glance at his lover, before stepping through, out to the Tourist office above.


	82. Chapter 82: Unwanted Explanation

Jack felt awful for being so rude to his Welshman, but he didn't want to discuss this whole conundrum in front of Gwen. Really he didn't want to discuss it all. Everything that he was used to screamed for him to ignore it, to just smooth things over on the surface and bury his worry. Yet here he was, walking down to the SUV, mulling over every possible way to convince Ianto that things weren't his fault. He could feel it now, sitting in the bottom of his stomach, the sense of guilt and anguish that could only belong to Ianto. It was bitter and sickening , the whole of it making the immortal sick. The technician slid into the passenger seat quickly, despite protests from Gwen.

"Jack, you were a little hard on him back there. He doesn't have control over-" The Welshwoman got into the car, her brow furrowed as she leaned forward into the center consol.

"Jack, are you ever going to tell me what the fuck is going on around here? Because everyone here seems to no something that I don't and I'm getting really fucking tired of it." The immortal sighed, starting the car and clipping on his COMM.

"Gwen, I've already filled you in on what's gone on around here." The Welshwoman let out a derisive snort.

"Obviously not. What is this about some sort of Telepathic Attack? You conveniently left that out between 'Ianto was kidnapped', and 'I'm moving in with Ianto'." The captain's nostrils flared as he tried to control himself. He had already gotten onto his lovers shit list today, he really didn't want to slide down it any farther.

"Fine, ignore me then. But you know I'll find out Jack. I'm part of this bloody team too you know." Jack went to open his mouth, but Tosh had spun around in her seat, the veracity of her movement, causing the Welshwoman to jerk back.

"You listen to me, and you listen well Gwen Williams. I am getting really tired of your bossy-know-it-all routine. Can't you just let things lay? Every time you open your mouth it seems like somebody ends up hurt. As for Jack, he didn't lie to you. There was no telepathic attack. Ianto is an Empath, ok? And before you go forming ideas in that thick skull of yours, keep this in mind. When he was 19 Torchwood London found out that he might be an Empath, so they experimented on him." Jack's grip tightened on the steering wheel. This was new to him.

"They performed an excruciatingly painful procedure called neuro-electic stimulation not once was three times, all while he was awake." The captain clenched his teeth. He had been put through that himself in the 70's, and once was enough for Torchwood to know everything about his telepathic abilities.

"Then the RETCONNED him with Reset. He doesn't remember any of it Gwen. Not one moment. That boy has been through hell, and all you do is pout or fuss when you want something." Tosh turned back in her seat, disgusted by the woman behind her.

"He can feel everything going on around him. Their pain, their sadness. He's a living conduit of emotion." Gwen swallowed, trying desperately to grasp what she was hearing.

"That still doesn't explain what happened to Jack." The immortal smiled sadly.

"Ianto and I, we have a sort of constant bond. I can always feel what he's feeling, and he me." The Welshwoman balked. "So when he got extraordinarily pissed at, I'm guessing Owen, I felt that anger like a punch to the stomach." He swallowed the bile rising in his throat. Ianto was really unsettled by Jack's earlier disposition.

"Like right now. I'm getting queasy, because he feels guilty for hurting me. It wasn't his fault. He didn't have any control over it. Yet there he sits, driving into a clearly dangerous situation, thinking that I'm pissed at him." The immortal shook his head, pulling into the safe spot were the team would wait for Ianto to report in.

"And to think, the only reason that I was curt with him was because he didn't want you to know. Because he didn't want you to think different of him, poorly." The immortal shook his head.

"It doesn't matter now. We need to focus on our work."


	83. Chapter 83: Unsavory Characters

Ianto Jones couldn't help but hold that slim feeling of warmth that was Jack close as he stepped out of his car. _Things could be worse_, he reasoned, straitening his tie and placing his well-practiced mask of professionalism firmly on his face. The guilt that he felt for harming his lover was accompanied by the sheer dread of what laid before him. He was willingly walking into a trap, and at the hands of UNIT at that. _Hopefully Simon isn't too sore at me. _ He straightened his cuffs one last time, before walking to the door of the warehouse. A burly looking man, whose hair was as thin as his coat, stepped out from beside the door.

"What'chu want?" The Welshman sighed inwardly. He got so tired of dealing with mindless riffraff.

"I'm supposed to be here. I have an appointment." The guy looked Ianto over crudely, estimating, no doubt, how easy of a fight he would be.

"Boss man says no one in, no one out. You want in, ya get get though me." Ianto pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I really don't have time for this. I have other things to do than listen to cover prattle." The guard's brow furrowed, an impressive feat as it seemed a solid ridge over his eyes.

"You think you can take me runt?" The Welshman held his hands out by his side.

"It's not something I'd like to prove." The guard grinned, his missing teeth giving him a more comical countenance than an intimidating one.

"Then you ain't gettin' in kid." Ianto stepped forward, drawing himself up. Even at 6ft he was much shorter than this man, and that seemed to be all that the guard was counting on. The Welshman could see it now. UNIT wanted to intimidate him, warn him off. He was, officially, just a paper pusher. If he had any special training, or weapons, he would be showing his hand at the front door.

"Clever, insult my apparent young age, take advantage of your larger stature, attempt to intimidate me and get me to turn back." The guard stepped back slightly, his gaze bordering on nervous. Ianto could feel the anxiety on the man, the fear. Obviously he had not been instructed on what to do if Ianto figured it out

"Look. You are going to call your superiors, who I expect are watching this right now, and tell them that Mr. Jones is here." The Welshman took a chance, and attempted to push some of his guilt onto the man before him. He saw the man sag slightly, and his eyes glaze and lower. He rushed over to the door, hitting the intercom and relaying the message. A few seconds passed, with Ianto keeping an edge of guilt on the man, careful not to be cruel with it. There was a loud screeching sound as the metal door to the warehouse pulled open, and the sound of booted footsteps. Two UNIT soldiers in full uniform flanked none other than Lieutenant Ulrich, who was wearing what could only be described as an evil grin.

"Mr. Jones! How nice of you to come and see me. I do hope that you know I bare no ill will towards you from our last encounter." She reached a hand out to be shaken, but Ianto couldn't bring himself to accept it. The malice and lust pouring off of the woman made him seriously contemplate turning back and returning to the HUB. _For Glib and Fall_. He muttered, pressing the record button on his COMM. Everything from this point on would be sent to the HUB, regardless if they deactivated it or not.

"Lieutenant. I'm here to check on the wellbeing of our diplomatic refugees. " The woman's grin hardened as she lowered her hand.

"Very well, you will have to undergo a thorough search and examination, per safety protocol of course." Ianto knew that there were no protocol on this topic, and that she was simply trying further to intimidate and belittle him. Instead of showing his agitation, he simply pulled of his jacket, took of his shoes, walked through the metal detector, then again through a detector for non-earth weapons. Being the forward looking man that he was, he had brought no detectible devices with him.

"Your communication device sir." A UNIT soldier handed the COMM back to Ianto, who took it with a tight lipped smile and a nod.

"No phone?" The lieutenant purred, and Ianto suppressed a shudder.

"Apparently not. I seem to have forgotten it." Another lie. He had left it in the car, just in case someone decided to steal it, at least he could track it.

"Very well then. Shall we tour the facility, or test the security?" The Archivist kept his voice steady.

"I'd rather just check on Glib and Fall, if it's all the same to you, ma'am." The last word was forced, he knew, but the woman's emotions were so repulsive, that he could barely keep from getting ill, let alone being cordial.

"Very Well. You can check and see how well our, err, guests are doing." He could see it now, a crack in her façade. Obviously she had expected him to want a full tour. Something to give her people more time to find a plausible excuse for the condition of their captive, as well as the fact that they are missing one. Two more UNIT soldiers flanked him, both pouring discontent and adrenaline. Obviously they were geared up for something. They walked down the concrete corridor, the completely silent except for the clunking of boots, the clipping of heels, and the soft scuffle of Ianto's dress shoes. The already tense atmosphere shifted, when they reached the glass paneled door and someone grabbed Ianto from behind.


	84. Chapter 84: The Doctor and The Patient

Owen Harper was leaning back in his desk chair, his feet on his desk, as he bounced a rubber ball against the wall. He had been left behind to watch over the sleeping alien, who was miraculously still alive. The doctor paused for a moment to look over at Glib. HE was more than just alive, he was almost completely healed. The chunks that had been torn from him were now mere dents of a lighter shade. His color was still slightly paler than what the doctor had some to know is normal, but was by no means the deathly shade that it had been.

"No wonder UNIT wanted to study you mate, your body chemistry is amazing." The eyes of the creature flew open, and he flailed around on the tabletop. Owen grabbed at the creature, shouting for him to calm down, and then realizing that the poor being couldn't understand him. He jumped backward, dodging a flying scalpel, and dashing under his desk, grasping blindly above him fir the translator. Just as his fingers found the device, a flailing tentacle sent it clattering to the floor, out of reach.

"Bollocks." The dead man breathed, hanging his head with a huff. He scrambled out from under the safty of his desk, grasping desperately for the translator. He grabbed it, switching it on, only to be assaulted by the sound of Glib's screaming.

"Where is he? What have you done to him? Where is he? Help, help me. Were is HE?" Owen held the translator up, dodging the flailing tentacles.

"Fall isn't here yet. Ok? The others have gone to get him, you're safe, you're ok." The flailing tentacles slower, and Glib turned himself fully to the dead man. Owen could see now that his eyes were still slightly glazed, unfocussed. _Asleep. He's asleep. _ The Dead man didn't know exactly how to wake the creature, so he resorted to the one thing he knew worked on humans. He reached out and slapped him. There was a high pitched keening noise from the creature and his eyes blinked rapidly.

"What was that for?" The creature said, the indented handprint slowly fading from view.

"Sorry mate, but you were going crazy. Some sort of nightmare or something. About took my head off with all the stuff you were tossing about. I mean look at this place!" The doctor gestured around him, and the alien's eye stalks widened. He took on a slightly bluer hugh.

"I am so sorry. I did not mean you any harm. It's just, I can feel him. When he is in trouble or away it hurts me." Owen groaned inwardly.

"Empathic bond?" The Creature opened his beak slightly.

"Yes, actually, fascinating. I was given to believe that humans had no knowledge of such things." The dead man shrugged.

"I've seen humans with bonds themselves. A right pain in the arse that is." The Alien tilted his eyestalks to the side, studying the dead man.

"That phrase you used, it means that the object related to is one of annoyance, correct?" The doctor nodded.

"Yea." The alien straitened, and his color took on a rosier hue.

"Its Ianto Jones and the Captain Jack Harkness, isn't it?" The doctor shook his head, righting his overturned chair and seating himself.

"You are a very observant species, to figure that out. Tell me, what gave 'em away?" The creature laughed slightly, appreciating the diversion from the topic of his loss.

"You did, Doctor Owen Harper." The dead man raised an eyebrow, both at the use of his full name and the accusation.

"How'd I manage that one?" The creature shifted himself.

"You related to bond to something that caused you annoyance. I have seen that you are annoyed by Captain Harkness and Ianto Jones' coupling. I simply pieced together that one of the causes of your annoyance at them is the fact that they are empathetically bound." Owen nodded, it was true, that the bond was annoying, but more so that it was an unnecessary harm to the team than anything else.

"Very observant species indeed. Tell me what are –" a sharp ringing filled the air, and Owen leapt for his gun, only to see that it was his desk phone. Trying not to let Glib see his mistake, The Doctor strode over to it, answering it brashly.

"Harper." The sound of a very out of breath Tosh crossed the line, followed by a spout of gunfire.

"Owen. Listen. They got Ianto and he is without weapons. Everything his COMM has been capturing is being streamed to the HUB. I need you to back it up." There was a grunt, and the sound of a woman screaming. He heard Tosh shout something unintelligible in the background, and then heard her curse loudly.

"And ready the autopsy bay. We have injuries."


	85. Chapter 85: The Wait

Jack sat in his seat, his fingers gripping the steering wheel, flexing and clenching as he road the waves of emotions coming from his lover. He hated this, waiting for something bad to happen. Waiting for Ianto to get hurt. He hated having to play hero, when his lover's life was in danger. If there was one thing that he wished that he could do, it would be to keep Ianto safe forever, but that was never going to happen. Ianto was too good a man to sit by, and-while Jack could force him- the immortal would never take away his lovers life work. Because that was truly what Torchwood had become. Jack saw it in everything that the Welshman did. He had his heart and soul in Torchwood, It was as much of his life as it was Jack's. Tosh caught the feedback loop from Ianto's COMM.

"Lieutenant. I'm here to check on the wellbeing of our diplomatic refugees. " The Welshman's voice filled the dim interior of the SUV.

"Very well, you will have to undergo a thorough search and examination, per safety protocol of course." Jack and Tosh shared a wary glace. They both knew that no such thing existed, and were shocked that UNIT would lie so blatantly right up front.

"Your communication device sir." The sound of skin on metal and the brush of hair across the speaker. "No phone?" Tosh looked at the confused Jack, who shrugged.

"Apparently not. I seem to have forgotten it." The Captain smiled to himself. Somehow he knew that the Welshman had put the phone strategically to his advantage, somehow. "Very well then. Shall we tour the facility, or test the security?" Jack could feel the way Ianto calculated his answer carefully.

"I'd rather just check on Glib and Fall, if it's all the same to you, ma'am." The amount of disgust that he felt from Ianto was nearly enough to make him ill. Obviously this woman was not giving off anything in the way of pleasantness.

"Very Well. You can check and see how well our, err, guests are doing" The immortal started to chew his lip. Something was about to happen, and it would happen quickly. The line was completely silent except for the clunking of boots, the clipping of heels, and the soft scuffle of Ianto's dress shoes. Jack heard them pause, and then felt a lurch in his stomach as the sound of a grunt and the scuffling of a fight filled the line.


	86. Chapter 86: This Means War

**Author's Note: I apologize for the delay between chapters. I've been sick lately and haven't been up to writing. I hope you enjoy what i have been able to do. **

The Welshman felt cold hands clamp down on his shoulders, and the sense of excitement was at its height throughout the room. He harnessed it, letting it and his own fear fuel his halfhearted attempt at escape. He knew that he couldn't do it now, he had to be captured to give Jack an excuse to break in, but that didn't stop him from putting up a fight. He kicked and punched, taking out two of the soldiers to be greeted with a half dozen more. They surrounded him, gripping his arms, his legs, one slung his arms around his chest, restraining him as he wrenched and pulled and bit. He knew that It was useless, but he was making for a hell of a good show. He heard the clicking of heels, and saw that the vial woman had walked in front of him, slowly clapping her hands.

"Bravo. I didn't realize that a paper pusher could put up such a fight. Knocking cold two well-trained soldiers is quite the feat." She walked up to him, her fingers tracing his arm while her maniacal grin burned itself into his consciousness. "The thing is, gorgeous, I can't have Torchwood interfearing with official UNIT business, and I can't have you leaving and summoning them here." She plucked off his COMM and deactivated it, just as they had planned.

"What have you done with Glib and Fall. The Welshman spat, blood spraying the woman in the face. Obviously irritated, she dabbed her face with a handkerchief, before slapping him.

"One of the creatures was kidnapped by, what I assume to be, one of Torchwood's secret pets. It probably made a nice meal of it." Ianto buried his smile. "The other is currently being prepped for another round of testing." The Welshman began his struggle again, in earnest when they opened the door to the torture room.

"What of me" He growled, wincing as the soldiers wrenched his arms into a pair of cuffs.

"We have a whole range of uses for a human test subject. Ianto paled, genuine fear burning through him. His last thought was a plea for speed, before he felt a pinch on his arm and the world faded away.

The Captain wrenched open the door to the SUV, staggering out of the car and raising his gun before him. He could still feel the Welshman struggling, and he could almost see the way he was fighting.

"Jack!" Tosh shouted, scrambling from her own seat and over to the immortal.

"We need to help him Tosh, they don't plan on letting him go." The technician nodded, and Gwen came around, her arms already laden with weapons. Tosh looked over, disapproving.

"You expect to break into a UNIT facility, guns blazing, rescue Fall and Ianto, and survive?" Bothe the captain and the Welshwoman shared an equally guilty glance, That had been their strategy from the beginning, and it had worked on numerous occasions before. However, both could see that the Technician was right. The odds of surviving such an assault on the place were slim to none for all but Jack, who was unwilling risk dying with Ianto on the line.

"You're right Tosh. We need a plan." Gwen said, noting with some alarm that the captain had a peculiar look across his face.

"Jack, what is it? What happened to Ianto." The immortal swallowed, lifting his head.

"We need to move quickly. Ianto's just been knocked out. Tosh, I want you to pull up the schematics of the building and see if there are any extra entrances that might be convenient. Gwen. I need you to see if some good old fashioned police work can work us into there." The two women nodded. Both pulling out their phones, neither one noticing the captain slip silently down the hillside.


	87. Chapter 87: The Rescue

Ianto awoke with a jolt, his wrists burning against the strain. He shook his head, trying to orient himself, and felt with some alarm that he couldn't quite focus his eyes. Ok then, I can't quite see. Maybe it's just a side effect from whatever they used to knock me out. The Welshman shut his eyes once more, focusing in on the sounds around him. He could hear the steady hum of electricity, the gurgling that could only be from Fall, and the sound of heels clicking on concrete. Ianto's eyes shot open once more, as a revolting wave of lust and h wanted to hatred washed over him.

"Good, you're awake. I was beginning to think that you'd sleep through the whole thing." She looked into his eyes, noting with a smirk that they were unfocused. The Welshman felt another pinprick in his arm, and his eyes came back into focus, with an almost blinding clarity.

"Oh, good, it works then. We've been playing around with your friend in there, and wanted to test out a few of the little things the lab came up with." She smiled at him.

"So we blinded you, a little, I take it that when you awoke you could barely see anything?" The Welshman held firm, not wanting to give this woman the satisfaction of a response.

"Well what I just gave you was a regenerative syrum that we made from watching that thing grow pieces of itself back. I really don't know how long the effects will last. A few hours, a few days, maybe it's permanent. Who knows?" The Welshman felt bile rise into his throat as panic set in.

_"Blinded?"_ He felt a searing heat burn through his core, and knew that Jack had heard him.

_"Ianto, I swear to whatever deities exist that those bastards are going to pay for this. Just hang in there, we are on our way in."_ The lieutenant was looking at Ianto curiously, her fingers fluttering absentmindedly over the aray of tools on the tray beside her.

"Interesting reaction. I had thought panic or fear, not a sigh of relief." Ianto blushed. He had not realized that he had let on how Jack's message had affected him.

"Oh, you are too handsome when you blush." Ianto nearly choked as the vile woman stepped forward, her fingers brushing his bare chest. His involuntary reaction seemed to encourage her, as she trailed her fingers down his chest, and the waist band of his trousers.

"You know, we really don't know how long that eyesight of yours will last." She stretched up on her toes, her lips brushing Ianto's cheeks. The Welshman was close to gagging, as the smell of her cheap perfume, and the unbound emotions worked there way into his senses. "Maybe we should make the most of it."

Jack had made it around to the back of the building unseen. He counted the number of guards stationed around the back door, wanting desperately to avoid shooting any of them. As much as he hated UNIT, and however much he wanted his Ianto back, these were just innocent workers, simply following orders. His real beef was with the Lieutenant, and any of her higher ups that authorized this whole sickening affair. His COMM blared through his skull, as Gwen realized that he had slipped away.

"Captain Jack Harkness. If I ever get my hands on you. What the hell do you think your doing, slipping off like that." The Immortal wanted to smile, but now was not the time.

"My own thing. I need to get in there and secure Ianto and Fall. I have a little bit more training in espionage than either of you, and I'm almost into the building myself." He heard a growl from across the line. But no further comments. He snuck closer to the building delighted yet appalled to see that there was a clear way inside that was virtually unguarded. He heard Tosh's voice come on through his COMM.

"Jack, do you see that grate in front of you?" He tapped the side of his COMM, indicating a yes.

"Do not go through it. My scan of the area is showing that it's laced with small explosives. Not enough to take down the building, but enough to blow you too bits, and alert them to your presence for when you pull yourself back together." The immortal groaned. He hated it when that happened.

"Alternate option will require removal of a few bodies, unless you feel like shimmying through the air vents from the roof." The immortal stifled a laugh. That was something that he hadn't done in years.

"I'll take it that your muffled giggling means that you want to take them out. May I suggest Sontarin style?" Jack grinned to himself. Waking them on the back of the head was the best way to go. The immortal crept along in the shadows, thankful for the falling darkness, though not particularly enjoying the contrast to the harsh lights around him. A shadow from the corner of his eye caught his attention. A shadowy figure was creeping along the opposite side of the dock, minute and barely visible. A quick double take and Jack swore hesaw it vanish, but there it was once more, gliding through the brush. Tosh's whispered instructions came through his COMM.

"Jack, Gwen is on her way around the other side. Better odds if its two on two. As soon as you get close enough, I'm going to cut the CCTV back into a feedback loop, that should buy us about 15 minutes tops. You think you can get in there and get everything under wraps in that time frame?" The Captain tapped his COMM once more. He had to. This was their best option of getting his Ianto back. A few more steps in the darkness, and he was there, Gwen strait across from him. A few hand signals confirmed that she not only knew the plan, but also that she was royally pissed at his wondering off. Oh well. Tosh spoke once more through the COMM's

"On my count you to move, swiftly. I don't want them to be able to call for help." There were a few tense seconds, with both of them prepping to spring.

"Three, Two, One. Go." They both leapt from the shadows, each knocking out a guard before they could react. They both looked at each other, a nod shared as they kicked open the door, guns at the ready. They crept along the inside of the corridor, keeping again to the shadows. They made it halfway down the hall, when Jack clutched his head, a wave of panic flooding his senses, followed by a word.

_"Blinded?"_ Blind! His Ianto, Blind! Of all of the things that could happen, that had not been something that the immortal had anticipated. Nothing could have made him angrier. He sent the Welshman a heartfelt plea, praying that he would get there in time.

_"Ianto, I swear to whatever deities exist that those bastards are going to pay for this. Just hang in there, we are on our way in."_

Gwen glanced over at Jack, who had a look of pure and utter hatred on his face. She couldn't be sure, but somehow, she knew that it was to do with Ianto, and that scared her. Whatever that bond thing was between them, it had alerted the captain to some new development, one that had brought him to a new level of dangerous.

It was mere moments before they heard a keening sound emanating from the walls.

Gwen grimaced and Jack frowned further. That could only be the sound of Fall, and if they were torturing him-"

"Jack, Gwen. I've managed to hack into the CCTV. They have Ianto in a room just twenty feet up the hall." Jack started to walk that way, but Tosh's words stopped him.

"Jack, be careful. You aren't going to like what you see." The immortal nearly growled. He knew that much already. Guns drawn and tempers high, they advanced down the hall. Jack saw, through the glass of the door, Ianto strung up along the wall, his head turned to the side as the blond haired lieutenant trailing her fingers along the Welshman's flesh. Ianto's flesh, the skin that only Jack was allowed to touch. The immortal's fingers tightened around his gun. He looked at Gwen, who looked just as horrified as he was angry. A minute nod shared between the two of them, and the door was burst open, two guns trained directly at the lieutenant's head. She turned around, a smug grin on her face.

"Glad you could join us Captain, I see you brought your own date." Jack snarled, and Gwen bristled.

"You do not know how much I want to pull this trigger." A look of alarm crossed her face, but it was brief.

"You wouldn't dare. I'm a ranking officer of UNIT. Under her Majesty's orders." Jack stepped closer to her, his finger tightening further on the trigger.

"I highly doubt that the queen ordered you to kidnap another government employee and torcher him." Her smirk slipped slightly, and her hand raised into the air, a small silver vial held between her fingers.

"A casualty. As for your wanting to kill me, remember this. This vial is the only one of it's kind." The captain saw Ianto's eyes widen slightly, and his head hanging slightly.

"Ianto?" The woman's grin grew wider, and she twirled it in her fingers.

"This is the only thing that is keeping pretty boy seeing anything at all." Gwen's breath caught in her throat, and Jack's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"It doesn't matter if he could see or not, you've played with fire." There was a slight jingling sound, and Ianto looked up, a small smirk. He wriggled his finger lightly, and the immortal caught the hint.

"You had better surrender now, I really don't want to hurt you." The lieutenant turned, facing the Welshman incredulously.

"Hurt me? You're the least dangerous person in this room." He smiled darkly, and Jack leaned forward, snatching the silver vial from her hand. The Welshman let go of his binds, landing with a thud on the flood. He rose up, unsteady on his feet. But still looming over the form of the woman.

"You had better be glad that I don't hit women." He stumbled around her, grabbing a set of cuffs from the table, and clipping them over her wrists tightly. The Welshman gathered up his shirt from the table, tugging it on and wincing at the tightness of his muscles.

"You can't do this! This is against her majesty's orders." Gwen double checked the hall, before turning around, fist raised.

"Ianto may be too much of a gentleman to hurt you." She punched the woman viciously, a slight cracking echoing through the room.

"But I have no problem with it." Jack picked up her gun and tossed it to Ianto, who caught it deftly.

"Let's get Fall and then get out of here." Jack nodded, ushering them out of the corridor and latching the door behind them. He was happy to notice that the lieutenant's cries for help went unheard through the glass of the walls. The sound of boots pounding down the halls underscored Tosh's screaming through the COMMs.

"Down the hall, quickly, he's the first door to the left. God he's in a bad way, but you have to get him out. Now!" Gwen sprinted ahead, gun drawn, while Jack and Ianto followed close behind. The Welshman was trying valiantly to keep up, dispite the pains in his body. They drew there guns, backing into the room were Gwen had already secured the scientists in the room, all three cowering at the sight of her gun. Upon seeing Ianto, upright and seemingly ok, the eldest of the scientists gasped.

"Bloody Hell! It worked!" Jack spun around, leaving Ianto to cover the door.

"What worked." The scientist coward back once more, his glasses riding low on his nose and his silver hair pulled back in a sharp ponytail.

"I can't believe it! The stuff actually worked." Ianto squinted down the corridor, a slight haze settling around the edges of his vision.

"Not permanently." The immortal layed a hand on the man's shoulder.

"How bad?" Ianto holstered his gun, heading over to were Fall was strung on hooks against the wall, fresh slices of flesh removed from him.

"A little fuzzy. Don't worry about it now. Let's get the hell out of here and then Owen can see what he can do later. Right now we have to get moving." He emphasized his point boy lifting himself on the table that Fall was strung above. With a grunt and groan, he hoisted the creature from his hook, only to have the other side rip sickeningly from its place. The alien looked horrid, dark patches and holes riddled his body, his whole body had taken on a sickly pallor. With great effort the Welshman pulled the creature to the floor, unable to lift him fully.

"Tosh, have you gotten the translator working in the COMM system yet?" There was a pause, and then the clicking of ammunition being loaded into a gun.

"Yes, I have." The sound of gunfire rolled over the COMM, and both Gwen and Jack shared an equal look of horror.

"Toshiko!" The immortal bellowed, and there was a feignt reply.

"Get out, and get to the road. Gwen, you're police backup is on it's way." There was the sound of more gunfire, and Tosh's cursing profusely."

"I'm going to get Owen on standby. Tell Ianto that he's done brilliantly, and that I hope he's ok." Gwen looked at Jack, who had paled slightly.

"That sounded an awful lot like a goodbye Jack." The Captain nodded, and turned to Ianto.

` "Yan, take point. I'll carry Fall. Gwen, you cover us. Only fire if fired upon. I don't want any unnecessary blood on our hands, for UNIT to use as an excuse." There seemed to be a breath of protest from the three in the corner, but a wave of Gwen's gun silenced them once more.

"Mad dash?" The Welshman said, completely ignoring the burning of his muscles to help his lover carry the fallen creature. Gwen took Ianto's gun, and they ran down the corridor, the thunder of boots and shouts echoing behind them. They dashed out of the door, into the blinding searchlights of multiple helicopter, both of UNIT and Police origins. Gwen pulled a badge out of the pocket of her jeans, holding it up and waving her arms frantically, One of the police helicopters lowered, a megaphone blaring through the air.

"PC Gwen Cooper?" She nodded frantically.

"How many casualties?" She turned around to see if Ianto needed any extra medical attention, when a shot rang out, and the two men behind her collapsed to the ground.


	88. Chapter 88: The Aftermath (Gwen)

With one practiced motion, Gwen returned fire, expertly placing a bullet between the eyes of the murderous lieutenant. Reveling in the warmth revenge provided her. The other UNIT soldiers readied their weapons to level her. But an order from the UNIT copter put them at ease. She knelt down in front of The pile of man and alien. Ignoring the orders being shouted at her from above. There, she noticed the spreading pool of blood the two men were laying in. One far too large to account for just one bullet wound. Unable to puzzle it together at the moment, she holstered her weapon, standing and motioning down the copter. As it landed she had three of the officers carry Fall to one side, while three other officers and a medic hoisted Ianto and Jack onto stretchers. A medic wiped the blood from his hands, walking over to Gwen with a look of both pity and fear.

"Ma'am it appears that they've both been shot in the back. Neither of them are dead, but they are both in a bad way." Gwen nodded, tapping so on her COMM.

"Tosh. Jack and Ianto are down. I need you at the back of the building ASAP." She was met with static. Worried, she tried again.

"Tosh? Tosh are you ok? Tosh can you hear me?" There was more static, and then a scraping sound, as if someone was taking it off and putting it back on.

"Ma'am this is Corporal Charles Jenson, of UNIT. I regret to inform you that your friend has been shot, as per the orders of Lieutenant Ulrich." Gwen blinked rapidly. Tosh? Dead? No, it can't be. She snarled into the headset.

"Lieutenant Ulrich is dead Corporal. I just put a bullet through her brain myself." There was a sharp intake of breath over the line.

"I know ma'am. That's why your friend is still alive. We received a cease–fire order right after that, err, happened." Tosh is alive! _Thank god. _

"So where is she? I don't want UNIT to have anything to do with her."

"I know ma'am. We have done far too much to your team already. I would apologize, but there isn't the words." That struck Gwen. She had come to think that all UNIT officers were cruel and soulless beings.

"That's why she is currently in route to the nearest civilian hospital, via police escort." That made the Welshwoman grimace. She didn't know how much RETCONN this whole procedure would take.

"Thank you Corporal, Jenson was it?"

"Yes ma'am." The helicopter carrying her fallen teammates, took off, leaving her alone to deal with everything.

"Your consideration will be noted when I report this to UNIT." _Well, Ianto's report. If he makes it._

"Thank you ma'am. We have also found your SUV. It should be arriving in a few moments." Gwen sighed. So much RETCONN.

"Thank you." She turned around, barking orders for the officers to put Fall into the back of the SUV, mindful to lay down a sheet of plastic first. When that was settled she negotiated to have the three officers follow her to the HUB, That left clean up. Forced with the task of RETCONNing the whole of the Cardiff police force, Gwen thought about trying to simply tell them the truth, and let them laugh at how absurd it was. Then realized that frankly, all she had to do was convince one man that it had been something stupid, a weapon or something, and everyone else would believe it. She had seen Ianto so it hundreds of times to large crowds of witnesses. Settling for this, she simply relayed the point to the first officer she saw, and got into the SUV.


	89. Chapter 89: The Aftermath (Owen)

Owen paced the HUB, waiting on any scrap of news regarding the rest of the team, praying to whatever being existed that Tosh was ok. He didn't think that he could bare to keep not-living his life without her. The phone on his desk rand once more, jolting him again from his thoughts.

"Doctor Harper? This is P.C Cook." The dead man sagged in his seat. This was the police department. If they've gotten involved than things have deteriorated very quickly.

"Yes, this is 'im."

"I'm afraid we have some bad news." _Shit. _The dead man wanted to scream, he wanted to rail around the room. Someone was dead, and he hoped beyond hope that it was Jack. As much as he hated to see any of his team injured, Jack would grow back. He always has and he always will. But Ianto, or Gwen, or-god forbid- Tosh. They wouldn't come back. Once they were gone, they were gone.

"Which one is dead." He barked, wanting the truth strait on, instead of the fluffy the police usually gave friends and families of victims.

"None sir. That's what we need you for. PC Cooper-" The dead man corrected the officer absentmindedly.

"Williams. She got hitched." There was an awkward cough over the line.

"Err, PC Williams then, told me to inform you that Captain Harkness and Agent Jones have both been taken into intensive care. Agent Sato is to be released into your care as soon as you arrive." Owen bit his lip, cursing himself when he realized that he had split it.

"What condition is she in? Agent Sato, I mean." There was the rustling of papers, and the sound of muffled conversation.

"She is stable. Two Gunshot wounds, One round went straight through her thigh, the other grazed her hip." The dead man let out a sigh of relief. Those wounds were bad, but non-fatal.

"And what of PC Williams?"

"Williams? Oh yes, right, she and a few of our officers are on their way over to you with the weapon you retrieved." Owen smiled dully. The situation was bad, but at least Gwen had thought enough to cover for everything. That also meant that Fall was alive."

"Thank you PC Cook. I will be down to the hospital to deal with my patients ASAP." The dead man ended the call. Rushing around the Autopsy bay, gathering together the various tools and dosages of RETCONN that he was going to need at the hospital. He didn't know what was wrong with the Captain and his Tea-boy, but, knowing them, it would be something he would need to cover up. Suddenly, a tentacle wrapped itself around the dead man's arm, and the translator crackled out the words from Glib.

"What has happened. Is he alive? Did they rescue him?" As if on cue the lift from the garage opened, lending itself to three large men carrying a near-white glob of flesh. Followed by a very haunted looking Gwen.

"Glib? I need you to go over to the side and wait. I can't operate on 'im with you hovering around." The Creature took one last look at the approaching group, before wriggling his way down to the water tower. One of the men paused to stare, but the others simply continued. Unquestioning of the whole Torchwood deal.

"Set him on the table down there." Gwen directed, and the men obeyed, gently setting the mass onto the steel work surface. Owen dropped all of his things, quickly donning surgical garb and advancing towards the creature. Fall was In a far worse state the Glib had been. His color much paler, and more of him seemed to be missing than present. He set to work, hoping to save this poor creature before it perished.


	90. Chapter 90: No Rest For The Weary

Tosh sat in a hospital room, dressed in a set of scrubs that a nurse saw fit to provide her. She wince, the sharp pain radiating from her hip barely dulled by the cocktail of pain killers that they had given her. A part of her knew that she should be sound asleep, laying in a hospital bed, or even her own bed, recovering from her injuries. Yet here she was, sitting in between two hospital beds, each one containing a man that she held dear. Despite persistent argument from the nursing staff, her Torchwood clearance had gotten Jack and Ianto in the same hospital room, as well as permission for her to stay with them. She gazed once more at the patient charts in her lap, focusing through the fog of pain killers in an attempt to understand the words on the page,

"Unidentifiable physical trauma." Was written on Ianto's chart, in the same place as "Gunshot wound to heart" On Jack's. Thankfully the Captain had survived the wound, sparing Tosh the task of explaining his resurrection. However, something had happened to Ianto, and she couldn't pinpoint what. Her only hope was the Owen could identify what had happened. Tosh leaned back in her chair, rubbing her eyes, before squinting at the clock. It had been two hours since Owen had been contacted, and she hadn't heard anything from him. A part of her knew that he was probably still operating on Fall, trying to save the poor thing, but an irrational part of her was jealous. She had been hurt, and Owen wasn't here to take care of her. _No, that's not right. He has a job to do, you are not a priority. _Still, she couldn't help but wonder. The sound of sneakers squeaking through the hall, and shouting came found its way from into the room. She could faintly hear a man shouting, and then the door burst open, a very rumpled looking Owen standing in the doorway. Before she could react, he was on his knees in front of her, his arms wrapped around her shoulders.

"Blimey Tosh, I had thought I'd lost you." The technician smiled to herself, curling her hands around him and burying her head in his shoulder. They sat there like that, before a slight cough shook them from the moment. Owen rolled back on his heels, keeping a hand placed gently on her arm as he spoke.

"Are you alright? I mean, have they taken good care of you? Given you any pain killers, been polite?" Tosh could tell the doctor was stalling, trying to cover for his lapse of character in front of Gwen.

"Well I feel like I've been shot twice, but other than that I'm fine. It's these two I'm worried about." She hooked her thumbs to either side, indicating the two men in the room. If the doctor could have blushed, he would have. He had been so concerned with whether or not Tosh was ok, he had nearly forgotten about the Tea-boy and his Captain.

"Err, well, what did these idiots say was wrong with 'em?" Tosh handed the dead man the charts. Well Jack was, quite obviously, shot. They chart says in the hart, but it missed his heart by 1/4th of an inch. Ripped through an artery though. By the time that they got in to look at it, it was nearly halfway healed, but that indicates a severe level of damage." The doctor nodded, an d flipped through Ianto's chart.

"Unknown physical trauma?" Tosh shrugged.

"He collapsed as soon as Jack did, and now they are in the same state, almost exactly. I have a theory, mind you, but it isn't a very good one." The doctor shrugged, setting the two charts down and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Let's hear it then." The technician bit her lip.

"I think that Jack did die, just for a second, his heart stopped, before starting itself again. Much to quickly for his brain to actually die again, but enough for it to go into shock." Owen nodded, the point was plausible. "I think that his near-death was enough for their bond to feel it." The doctor glanced over at Gwen, who just nodded.

"They told me earlier." Owen nodded, and then thought about it.

"So what you're saying is that, when Jack's body shut down, so did Ianto's?" The technician nodded.

"The issue with that is, Ianto has been injured and drugged since this whole thing began, and so has Jack. Neither of them have shared any physical symptoms of the others condition at all." Owen leaned against the edge of Ianto's bed, pondering the point.

"Jack tried to sever his bond with Ianto, and he got very physically ill. Maybe that's what happened, maybe the bond broke, and this is the result." Tosh sighed.

"If that's the case then we can't do anything. We just have to wait for one of them to wake up." Owen nodded once more, and rubbed his hand down his face.

"Until then, we might as well all go home. They aren't going to get any better overnight, and it's been a while since we've gotten any rest." Tosh agreed, but she was still reluctant to leave the Welshman and the immortal.

"Don't look like that Tosh, someone will be here for them when they wake up." Gwen said softly, seeing how the technician reacted.

"You're right of course. Besides, I'm anxious to check on Glib and Fall." The doctor frowned.

"That'll have to wait Tosh. I'm taking you home." The technician pouted, not wanting to give up seeing her friends.

"Come on, just a quick trip to the HUB?" but the dead man was having none of that.

"No. As your doctor I'm saying that at the very least you'll be spending tomorrow at home, and, oh bloody hell." The dead man looked over Tosh once more, and noticed, for the first time, that she was wheelchair bound.

"You can't go to your flat, you'll never make it up the steps." The technician looked down at herself, and grimaced.

"I forgot about that. How long till I can be on crutches?" Owen shook his head.

"If I got my way? Three, maybe four weeks. Since you are you? Maybe a week tops." She nodded, rolling her wheelchair forward.

"Looks like it's your flat for now." Owen his his smile. Not for the first time he was thankful for his wheelchair-accessible apartment. Neither person noticed Gwen's soft smile, and the slight shake of her head. She had not doubts about their relationship, and knew that Tosh would be very comfortable there.

"I'll go back to the HUB tonight and check on Glib and Fall. I figure I'm the only one of us that hasn't spent the night there in a long time." Owen nodded, and went to Ianto and Jack. A quick cursory check of their vitals and a list of commands to the nursing staff, and he was out the door, pushing Tosh along with him. Gwen stayed behind for a moment, looking over the figures of her boss and his lover, before dimming the lights and leaving the room. Gwen nearly made it to the parking lot before her phone started ringing. It was Owen.

"Gwen, err, we only have the SUV here." The Welshwoman shook her head.

"I'll be down there in a moment, go ahead and get Tosh in the car. No sense in her catching a chill from the garage." There was a rustling and the sound of soft speaking. Tosh's voice came across the line.

"That won't happen. This idiot forgot his keys. We'll have to wait on you." Gwen smiled to herself.

"Like it told Owen, I'm almost there." She rounded the corner, to see Owen standing over Tosh, a look of annoyance and concern on his face.

"Alright then." The line went dead and Gwen saw Tosh chuck the phone at Owen, who fumbled with caching it. She clicked the keys, unlocking the SUV and scaring Owen in the process.

"Bloody hell! You're going to give me a heart attack, sneaking up on me like that." Tosh frowned and Gwen laughed.

"I could only give you a heart attack if your heart was still beating you idiot." The dead man wanted to comment, but she was right.

"As much as I enjoy listening to you two bicker. I can't get into this car by myself." A if to make her point, she pushed herself up in the wheelchair, attempting to balance on her good leg, and then collapsing back into the chair with a huff.

"OH, gees, sorry Tosh." Gwen murmured. She opened the door to the SUV, letting Owen lift the technician in his arms and set her on the seat. He fastened her in, and expertly collapsed the Wheelchair. The two uninjured team members climbed into the SUV, and drove into the glare of the day.


	91. Chapter 91: Darkness and Light

There was darkness, that much was clear. The sort of all-encompassing darkness that only death could bring. Jack knew it well, he had embraced it countless times in his never ending life. Yet this time, it was a different sort of darkness. Still enveloping, yet cold. He knew he had never been able to feel in his state of death. That was what it made it so terrible. No sight, no sound, no taste, no touch, no sense of time. Death was the nothingness that his consciousness drifted through until he was inevitably dragged back into the realm of the living. So to feel so cold, so hollow, brought a whole new level of terror into the never ending nightmare. Jack wanted to scream, he knew that it was an impossible thing to do, yet he tried. Much to his surprise, something akin to the feeling of a scream ripped through his being. It echoed around the empty nothingness, striking against the invisible edges of the void and doubling back for him. Another sound, something so familiar, yet so strange, rippled just outside the edge of his grasp. The Immortal had no idea what it was, but some piece of his being recognized that to grasp that would bring him to the surface.

The light was blinding, so unlike anything that Ianto had ever been forced to endure. It tore at him, prying fingers ripping at everything that he was, every fiber of his being. Perhaps this was what death was. Not a white light that you fade into slowly, but a shear sort of blinding light that had no color, or form. Ianto had faced death numerous times. Looked it in the eyes and readied his arms to welcome it, only to be yanked back to the surface. He had only embraced it once, all that time ago, to awake gasping for air with Jack's face just above his. But then it had been so different. It had been so dark and oppressive. He had heard someone, something, calling to him in the darkness. Something that he had dreaded with every fiber of his being. Now, it was here, ripping at him, shredding everything that he was until nothing remained. Yet, as if by sheer will, a sound pierced the light. Familiar, yet foreign. Ianto could not recognize it, nor could he contemplate what it meant. But a primal part of him, the pure instinct of the soul, told him that the sound was his salvation. Ianto fought, desperate to hold onto that last fiber of existence before the light destroyed him completely. One solemn word, with no dicernable meaning or importance, escaped from his being.

"Jack."


	92. Chapter 92: Clean Up

Gwen had dropped Tosh and Owen off in front of Owen's building, trying not to smile too noticeably as he gently carried her to her chair, and wheeled her into the building. A quick phonecall to Rhys had informed him of the events of the day.

"Gwen, It's nearly 8 o'clock in the morning. Are you not even going to try to make it home?" The Welshwoman had sighed, It was hard to believe that so much had happened since the previous afternoon.

"I can't I've been out all night, and I'm the only one left to take care of the HUB." She heard a sharp intake of breath over the line.

"What about that indestructible bloke? You're Captain Jack Sparrow." Gwen shook her head, Rhys never liked Jack, and couldn't help himself from ragging on him now.

"He's in a coma, along with Ianto, laying in the Cardiff city hospital."

"Shit! Gwen, bloody hell! What the hell happened!" The Welshwoman sighed pulling into the garage of the HUB.

"It's a long story that I barely understand. Tosh was shot, so-" Rhys screamed, there was the sound of a chair clattering in the background.

"Tosh! Blimey Gwen! I'm so sorry! I know you and her were real close and-" The Welshwoman smiled.

"She isn't dead you twat." There was a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank god for that. So was it just a flesh wound then?"

"She'd say so, but she took one through the thigh, and another in her hip. Won't be able to walk right for a while. Owen took her home to take care of her while things were in a state of relative peace. I'm at the HUB to tie up some loose ends, and then its to the hospital. Someone needs to be there for Jack when he wakes up and sees that Ianto is down for the count." Gwen heard her husband shout something indistinct and the shuffling of papers.

"I'll go for now. The ladies here can hold the fort for now. You just do what you have to do with the paper work and then grab a few winks. I can watch over the boys and call you if anything changes." The Welshwoman clutched a hand over her heart. It was things like this that reminded her of exactly why she married the man.

"You don't have to do that." There was a smile in her husband's voice when next he spoke.

"Yea I do. Now, off you get. I'll be at the hospital if you need me."

"Alright then. Love you."

"Live you too Gwen." The line went dead and the Welshwoman tapped her phone top her lip for a moment, wondering exactly what she had done to deserve such a man. A sharp tapping on the window of the SUV drew her back to the present. Gwen jolted forward, drawing her gun and spun to the window, only to find one of the police officers she had forgotten about standing just outside her door.

"Umm, PC Cooper?" Came the man's muffled call. Gwen let out a sigh. Opening her door, and sending the poor man staggering back a few steps, she got out of the SUV.

"Sorry about all that. A few of my colleagues were in need of some help." The man just blinked at her.

"Err. We are all waiting for your orders of release." Gwen blinked a few times, and then groaned inwardly. _How much RETCONN will this take to erase. _She smiled warmly at him, gesturing to the lift.

"Let me just get you all something to drink first." The officer nodded, and followed her into the HUB. There was Glib, sitting beside Fall on the floor, one tentacle resting on the other creature, while a few others placed damp cloths onto his skin. _Good. At least Glib can take care of that much. _The other officers were sitting on the couch, hands in their laps and eyes half closed with exhaustion.

"Alright boys. Let me give you all a little pick me up and then I'll let you on your way. You lot look like you can barely stand, let alone drive all the way home." The officer behind her seemed to want to protest, but one glance at his colleagues told him otherwise. Gwen pulled three extra-strength RETCONN dosed bottles if water from their cabinet, and handed them each in turn to the men around her. They each drank the whole of the bottle, and she could already see that they wouldn't be able to drive back. With a bit of concern, she goaded them each to the police cruiser that they had arrived in, hastily scrawling a note to explain the events of the previous night for when they awoke. Taking the wheel of the cruiser, she drove them halfway to the station, and got out of the car, pushing one of the men into the driver's seat. One of the men behind her shuffled a bit in his sleep, falling onto the man beside him, both of their heads resting on the other's. Gwen had to stifle her laugh before climbing out of the car. Thirty paces and a taxi ride later, she was back at the HUB. There was an elderly woman at the tourist office door, her hands clasping a small basket infront of her, and her red cloak drawn tight around her thin shoulders.

"Can I help you ma'am?" Gwen asked, concerned that the woman hadn't notice that the shop was closed.

"Do you work here dear?" She hitched her thumb over to the door, and Gwen noticed that the woman had a near militant bearing.

"Yes ma'am, but I'm afraid we're going to be closed for a while. A few of us have landed themselves in the hospital. A look of horror crossed the woman's face.

"It wasn't Mr. Jones was it? Or Ms. Sato?" Ok, now Gwen was worried. This woman knew Torchwood. And she knew were they were.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Gwen demanded, her voice hardening threateningly.

"Gertrude Mayweather. My wife sent me over here with a basket of goods for Mr. Jones and Mr. Harkness. They seemed to enjoy her cooking the other night and I-" That clicked. This was the Mrs. Mayweather that had hosted Jack and Ianto's first date.

"Oh, forgive me ma'am I didn't recognize you. Please, come in. it's far too cold to be out talking out here." The woman smiled softly.

"I only came to drop this off. Gwen frowned.

"I'm afraid Ianto and Jack won't be able to enjoy anything for a while." This really got the woman's attention.

"Oh no, They are the ones in the hospital aren't they. Was it a car accident? Or did someone unsavory get ahold of them." Gwen looked the woman over once more. She seemed protective.

"Work accident. They both ended up in the hospital last night. They-they haven't woken up yet." They woman simply nodded.

"Bloody Torchwood. Even in my day you people kept getting yourselves into more trouble than you could handle. Gwen nodded.

"You weren't Torchwood, were you?" The elderly woman laughed sadly.

"No, I was in the Army for a time, and i did a brief stint with UNIT, but there wasn't really much use for a woman in the ranks after the war. Tell me, do you think that it would be alright for me to go and visit them?" The Welshwoman smiled.

"Of course! I have a feeling that they would both love to know that you came in. And tell the missus that her thank you for them. I know Ianto would want that." Gertrude smiled softly.

"Well then, I guess that i had better phone Olive and let her know where I'm headed." Gwen smiled to dismiss her, then stopped.

"Wait, how did you know where to find Ianto?" The elderly woman gathered herself up and turned to Gwen fully, stepping just a fraction closer and lowering her tone.

"For a secret organization, you aren't very secret. It was easy enough to figure that wherever Ianto went to work, Torchwood would be nearby. Since I'm friends with his Mam and she said that he worked here, it wasn't that hard to piece it together. Now, dear, I really do need to go. I'll just put this in the room when i visit them. It'll do no good in there." She pointed to the tourist office and walked away. No goodbye, no dismissal, just walking away. The whole thing was so bizarre and abrupt that Gwen had half convinced herself of imagining the whole meeting.


	93. Chapter 93: Unexpected Company

Rhys had rushed to the hospital as soon as he could get away from Harwood's. Pulling into the hospital parking lot he could still hear the exhaustion in his wife's voice. She had been working nearly constantly of late, and he worried about her. here hopped out of the car, walking swiftly tp the lift. As he got in, he notice a tall red cloaked figure rushing forward to the lift, a basket bobbing from it's wrist. Being the kind and courteous man that he was, Rhys held the lift and the figure darted in, huffing for breath and leaning heavily against the wall.

"Err, are you alright there, mate?" The figure nodded, standing up a little starter and pulling back it's hood. Rhys was surprised to find that the running figure was an elderly woman, her hair slightly mussed from the hood, and her finely wrinkled cheeks flushed pink. She took a deap breath, and smiled warmly at the Welshman.

"I'm fine dear. Just a little winded. Getting far too old to be rushing about is all." Rhys chuckled.

"Gave me a bit of a panic there with that. Thought there was a fire or something." The woman laughed, and pulled out a phone. One-Rhys noticed-that was quite a new model . She typed in a few words, and then it disappeared again into her cloak.

"Memo?" Rhys asked, curious.

"Just telling the missus that I'm here. She's always worrying about me getting lost." The Welshman striated a bit, caught off guard by the statement.

"Missus?" She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

"Yes the missus. Do you have a problem with that?" The Welshman lowered his head.

"No ma'am. Some of my best mates are, well-" He didn't know how to word it. The woman seemed to want to smile, but kept it mostly hidden. "In fact that's why I'm here. The pair of them are in a bad way and my wife asked me to come sit with them while she worked." The woman nodded. "What about you, ma'am, are you here to visit anyone?" The woman shook her head, The doors of the lift opening up to the blinding white light of a sterile hospital hallway.

"Do you honestly think that I'd be running around like this if I wasn't?" Rhys laughed, he couldn't help it. The woman simply seemed to go against her own appearance. They both approached the information desk. A very grumpy looking woman in butterfly scrubs glared up at them from her seat.

"Patient name?" She said to no one in particular.

"Ianto Jones." Gertrude and Rhys stated in unison, and then looked at each other suspiciously.

"Room A113." The nurse said waving them off. Gertrude gestured for Rhys to go ahead, and the man shook his head in disbelief.

"You're not Jack's kin are you?" And the woman shook her head.

"I'm no one's kin. But I've known Mr. Jones's Mam for years. Last week I ran into the Torchwood group, minus the woman I met today-" Rhys nodded, turning the corner down the hall.

"That would be my wife, Gwen. We were on our honey moon." Gertrude noticed how his eyes lit up at the mention of his wife. _Newlyweds. _

"Congratulations. Anyway, they were at our inn, Olive and I own an Inn, and Torchwood shows up. Captain Jack, such a polite one he is, he asked me to see our honeymoon suit." Rhys nodded.

"Ah here we are. Room A113. Mr. and, oh you have got to be bloody kidding me." Rhys grinned at the sign on the door, pointing his thumb at it crookedly. Gertrude pulled a pair of spectacles from the folds of her cloak, perching them on her nose and squinting at the room sign.

"Mr. and Mr. Jones. Well I'll be. Last I saw of 'em they were on their first date." She chuckled softly and Rhys shook his head. The pair walked into the room, their good humor dying when they saw the state of the men before them. Both were frighteningly pale, their faces slack. Ianto's face was littered with bruises and cuts, and ragged rings rimmed his eyes. Jack looked practically flawless, his injuries less apparent.

"Blimey. Looks like Ianto took a beating." Gertrude shook her head sadly.

"You Torchwood lot. Always did have a knack for getting yourselves hurt. It's almost always the best man who ends up with hte worst ending, don't you think?" Rhys nodded, unsure of how this woman knew so much of Torchwood, but touched by the level ofconcern that she had. He watched her, her eyes flickering between Jack and Ianto, face tight with emotion. She turned to Rhys, Her eyes clear and determined.

"Would you mind some company for a bit? It doesn't feel right leaving this behind-" She held out the basket from her wrist. "And not seeing their face when they get it." Rhys smiled.

"Ma'am, You'll have an awful long wait I'm afraid." The woman simply smiled, closing the door with just a crack open, before seating herself in the corner of the room.

"I've waited a long time for many things dear. These boys will pull each other through. You'll see. There is something going on with the pair of them that I doubt even this-" She waved her hand broadly across the room. "Could keep them from each other." Rhys shook his head once more, pulling up his own chair. He didn't know whether it was the presence of this woman, or the simple Torchwood weirdness, but a part of him believed the sentiment whole-heartedly.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but I never caught your name." The woman smiled.

"Gertrude Mayweather." The Welshman simply nodded. This would be a long stay, and he was glad for the company, as peculiar as she may be.


	94. Chapter 94: Looking After

Owen had helped Tosh into his flat, embarrassed by the state of disarray that the place had fallen into.

"Err, I know it ain't the Ritz but-" The woman laughed softly, wheeling herself to the edge o h his couch and removing the litter from it.

"Owen, I don't care about the cleanliness of your flat. I'm just glad to be here instead of the hospital." She snorted.

"I'm glad to be anywhere really. Those UNIT soldiers were under orders to kill me." Owen could imagine the hair on the back of his neck stand. He hadn't realized just how close he had come to losing her.

"Well, you're not dead. Thankfully. It isn't as fun as you might think." Tosh smiled, despite herself. She knew that Owen was trying to make her feel better.

"Still wish that they weren't so accurate at disabling." She wince, shifting her leg awkwardly in the wheelchair. "I can't wait until I'm out of this thing. Do you know how hard it's going to be to get into the HUB? I'm going to have to take the freight entrance." Owen held back a laugh. He knew how much it was bugging Tosh to be out of action, and how bad she was feeling.

"You know, field work aside, it isn't that different from normal. I mean, you spend most of your day in a wheelie chair in front of a desk. Now you'll just spend it in a wheelchair." The technician picked a stray t-shirt from the couch, and chucked it at Owen with a laugh.

"Keep up with comments like that, zombie man, and I'll-" The doctor smirked, leaning against the couch in front of Tosh.

"You'll what gimpy? Kill me?" Tosh schooled her face with her most somber expression.

"I'll delete your music playlist." Owen's eyes widened in horror.

"You wouldn't dare." Tosh smiled softly, her eyes warm behind her glasses.

"I would too dare. One quick virus and your entire music library is gone, irretrievable like that." She snapped her fingers for effect." Owen simply nodded, knowing that not only did she have that power, but she was cruel enough to use it.

"Alright, alright. I give. Gosh, leave it to you to find something to threaten the dead with." The woman smirked, and then laughed softly.

"Did you see what I had to do to Jack and Ianto? Or well, their door and reputations." The dead man frowned, and shook his head.

"No, I didn't pay attention to that one, I was more worried with everyone's health." Tosh giggled slightly.

"I married 'em." Owen stood, open mouthed, and Tosh fell into a fit of giggles. "I had to. It was the only way that I could guarantee them a room together, without having to pull all that Torchwood stuff. Besides, It'll be fun to see their faces when they find out." She sobered instantly, snapping from humorous to solemn like a rubber band.

"Owen, do you think that they'll pull through? I mean, I know Jack will, he always has. But what about Ianto?" The doctor went to chew his already split lip.

"I really don't know. There isn't much knowledge about psychic empathy, and I'm almost certain that that is the cause. He may wake up tomorrow morning, fully functioning. Then again he could wake up and not remember who any of us are, or he could have reverted to an infantile state, or he may never wake up at all. The odds are all over the place. And to top it all off, I still don't know what sort of things UNIT did to him while they had him, that the hospital may have missed." Tosh nodded, and yawned.

"I hope that he is ok. I want to say that it's for Jack, because I think Ianto's death will be unbearable for him. But, honestly. I think that it'll be harder on Torchwood. HE keeps everything running, you know? We really don't appreciate him, but he does do a hell of a lot of things." Owen nodded, stepping behind Tosh.

"Your right. Now, though, isn't the time to worry about Tea-boy's survival. You need to get to bed, and take another dosage of those pain killers." Tosh nodded, and let Owen wheel her into the bathroom. She blushed when he went to help her out of her clothes.

"Toshiko, are you seriously embarrassed?" The reproach in his tone was nearly eclipsed by his humor.

"Yes, I mean we aren't going to, you know, and I look dreadful, and I've been running a lot and-" Owen's laughter drowned out any further excuses.

"Tosh, I've seen you with out clothing plenty of times. Naked hide and seek that one night we all got smashed, every physical and exam for the past three years, a few nights ago." Tosh nodded, blushing further at the memory of that night. "As for the rest of that. You look like rubbish and you smell terrible, but you were also running for your life and gunned down by some UNIT soldiers, so I say it's understandable." Tosh smiled at that.

"Fine, but at least let me get some clothes to sleep in, all right?" Owen nodded, helping Tosh out of her clothes and trying to laugh as she covered herself. He sighed at her wound dressings, seeing that blood was already seeping through.

"I'll have to redress those before you can get dressed." He ran a warm bath, much to the surprise of Tosh.

"You may as well clean yourself up. No point in you being miserable just because you got shot." She smiled, trying not to react when he undid the bandages on her hip and thigh, and helped her into the warm water. It soothed her aches and bruises, alleviating the tension of the day and letting her slip into a euphoric semi consciousness, aided by the painkillers that Owen had given her. She was barely aware, when someone laughed, and cool hands went to work washing her skin and body. She cared little when those hands helped her up and held her, drying her off with a warm towel. She shivered involuntarily when she and the towel were placed in a chair, and the same cool hands cleaned and dressed her wounds. Then she was moving, swiftly or slowly she didn't know. She drew to a stop, warm cloth surrounding her once more as the dead man dressed her. He laid her between the sheets of the bed, the technician falling fast asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Hours passed as the sun slipped below the horizon. Tosh slept fitfully under the watchful gaze of the dead man. He sat over her now, stroking her hair as she whimpered softly in her sleep. He leaned down, his lips brushing her forehead. She smiled softly, her body stilling as her dreams became more at peace.  
"Shh. Sleep well Tosh." The woman sighed, and Owen stood, walking over to the window and leaning his arm against it. Part of him gazed over Cardiff watching the comings and goings of a sleeping city. The other part of him watched Tosh in the reflection of the glass. The doctor was still shaken from the near loss of the woman behind him. He laughed bitterly to himself. That statement was the truest in the world. She had always been there, supporting him, or Torchwood. All those years she had watched him destroying himself with booze and women. She had suffered through his round with Gwen, watched him through himself at a woman out of his time. She had stood bye him, and helped him after he had died and found himself alive again. She had stood behind him this entire time. Now she cannot stand. The dead man walked from the room, not wanting to wake her. He needed something to clear his head of these thoughts, but drowning himself in drink was not an option. Just the thought of what happened last time brought imaginary bile into his throat. He flopped onto the couch turning himself upside once more.


	95. Chapter 95: Her?

As soon as she had entered the HUB, Gwen knew that she needed rest. The physical and emotion strain of the evening had been enough to drag her down. Coffee. Ianto would make coffee. She stopped short, just in front of the HUB door. _No. Ianto isn't here. He's laid up in a hospital bed, unconscious, with Jack. _ She sighed, trudging through the door and over to the couch, only to see someone else there?

"Martha?" Gwen drew her gun. As much as she liked the doctor, she was still UNIT, and right now, UNIT was not to be trusted.

"Gwen, thank god you're alright." Her eyes caught sight of the gun in the Welshwoman's hands, and she let out a sad sigh. "You know it's me Gwen."

"Yea, and you're UNIT. I've had enough of your kind for a lifetime. Isn't it enough that you kidnapped innocent creatures to torcher them, kidnapped Ianto and torchered him, and then put three of my team in the hospital, two nearly dead. Couldn't you leave it at that." An edge of hysteria had creapt into her voice the more she spoke.

"Oh, god, believe me, I had no idea it was as bad as that. It does explain why they sent me here." Now Gwen was really upset., She wasn't visiting, she had been sent, by UNIT. Probably to steal back Glib and Fall, and whatever else she could get her hands on. Gwen trained her gun at the woman's head.

" Tell my why you're here, and why I shouldn't kick you out or kill you." The anger and exhaustion and sadness had seeped into her words, and Martha could see that this whole ordeal had taken it's toll.

"Because I work for The Doctor's ideals before UNIT's. Because UNIT sent me here to make peace with you guys. Because you can trust me." Gwen sighed, lowering her gun and sagging onto the couch in defeat. Martha had a point, and frankly, Gwen was too tired to fight.  
"Fine. Just know that Owen is still out there, and Tosh was only wounded." Martha stiffened.

"I must have missed something. How is Owen still alive. I mean, he was dead. I saw him die." Gwen snorted with laughter. She had forgotten about all that. Owen was still around all the time, it was nearly easy to forget.

"The Risen Mitten." Gwen laughed again. Ianto had named it, like so many other alien devises. It helped him in the Archives, sure, but it also made it so much easier for the team to find things. "Jack used it to resurrect Owen for a few questions, and for us to say goodbye. He was only supposed to be back for a few minuets. But Jack never half-asses anything. He brought him back for good." Martha leaned back, absorbing this.

"So he's ok? Alive and well and everything?" Gwen shook her head.

"More like un-dead. His body still functions, it moves and responds to his mind. He can still talk, and he isn't rotting. But bodily functions don't exist. He has no blood flow, his heart isn't pumping, his lungs aren't moving. He is physically dead, but he's still alive." Gwen shrugged. "We don't know how it works, but we are all glad that it does. Well everyone but him." Martha nodded.

"So is he at the hospital or-"

"No, He took Tosh to his place to take care of her. Your friends really did a number on her leg. She won't be able to walk for quite a while." Martha grimaced, and stood.

"Wait, if Tosh and Owen are at home, and you're here. You didn't get any new members?" The Welshwoman shook her head.

"But Jack, he can't-and, Oh no, Ianto!" Gwen nodded, watching sympathetically as the woman worked through what had happened.

"We should be there, trying everything, working on helping." Gwen put her hand on Martha's arm.

"There is nothing we can do but wait. My husband is at the hospital watching over them, just in case they wake up. I came back here to check on Glib and Fall and hold the fort while the others were out of action." Martha sighed.

"Well you need sleep. No offense but you look horrible." Gwen just laughed.

"Probably. Would you mind handing me that blanket over there? I'll just catch a nap here." Martha shook her head.

"Doesn't Jack have a bunker here or something?" Gwen just giggled.

"I don't think I could sleep in the same place that Jack and Ianto had had sex." Martha laughed herself.

"Do you honestly think that they haven't dabbled on the couch?" Gwen pulled a face, looking down in disgust at the couch.

"Maybe I should just go sleep in the cells." Martha laughed again.

"I honestly doubt, knowing Jack's reputation, that any part of this HUB is safe." Gwen groaned, snatching the blanket from Martha and flopping back onto the couch. She laid down, rolling up in the blanket and facing the back of the couch.

"I'm taking a very hot shower in a few hours." Martha chuckled.

"Night Gwen. I'll let you know if anything happens." There was a muffled grunt from Gwen, and then the sound of soft snoring. Leaving the medic to herself.


	96. Chapter 96:The HUB

**Author's Note: I feel like this story is dragging a bit, but I've so many loose ends. Please let me know if you'd rather I end it swiftly, or continue on with other stories.**

Martha walked around the main room of the HUB, stopping by the little kitchenette. On the wall there was a small series of post-it notes, each one labeled with a chore and how to do it. The very top one was less formal. Martha plucked it from the wall and read it.

"If ever I'm not able to come in, or I've finally given in to Torchwood and been driven mad, these are the basic functions that need to be performed in my absence. There is no point in making this more detailed, you guys'll pick up the slack, or I will when (if) I get back.

~Ianto Jones

P.S: Please do **NOT **touch the coffee machine. I don't care if I'm dead. **NO ONE TOUCHES IT.**"

Martha laughed at that and then looked at the notes more closely. There were thirteen of them, not an exorbitant amount of work, but each one had six or seven points, and each task seemed more grueling than the last. Martha sighed, taking the first one down to complete it.

"Feed the Weevils:

The Weevil food is in the crate just inside the door of Cell Block A.

There are currently 23 weevils in residence.

Each get one liter of food a day.

Except Janice. She gets half as she is on a diet.

Jack is not allowed to feed Janice.

He is the reason she is on a diet.

Weevils cannot eat chocolate cake."

Martha smiled and shook her head. _If ever there was an old married couple. _She did a quick mental check of the layout of the HUB, and headed down to the Cells. Several of the sharp toothed, boiler suited creatures leapt at her from the corners of their cells. She couldn't help but jump at their every snarl and scratch. She moved quickly, grabbing the container of ground meats from the cabinent and scooping the servings in their paper bowls. Each bowl was then quickly tossed into the cells until she was at the end, a half bowl of Weevil Food for Janet. She could see why the creature was on a diet. Her boiler suit was bulging and her face was rounder than any other weevil. _Chocolate cake indeed._ She tossed it in, and watched with fascinated horror as the weevil tore at the container and messily devoured it. Then, as though in thanks, the weevil turned and bowed at Martha ever so subtly. The woman smiled. No wonder Jack had taken a liking to this one, she was nearly intelligent.

That chore completed, Martha left the cells, stopping in the kitchenette to wash her hands vigorously. She glanced back at Gwen, who was snoring loudly, her arm hanging off the edge of the couch and her leg sprawled over the back. She laughed softly, and grabbed another post-it from the wall.

"Feed the Team:(Only applicable if team mates are alive/ it's meal time.)

Owen is dead. He doesn't eat, but he likes to insult those who do, just brush it off. He has a right to be an arse.

Tosh will probably ask for a salad with no fat dressing. Get full fat, she can afford the calories, and add some biscuits from the cupboard if it's been a bad day.

Gwen will order something full of fat and carbs. Most likely meat or something covered in meat. Bring her extra napkins and the antacid from the drawer if this is the case.

Jack's food choices vary widely, from sushi to fried chicken. Just cater to his food whims, and try not to stare.

Martha couldn't help but laugh. The Welshman was so caring. She put that note back up, knowing that it wouldn't be needed for a while.

"Cleaning the Autopsy Bay:

Hopefully Owen has been merciful in his dissection/surgery/experiment and left you little to no mess.

That little ray of hope was dashed huh?

Sterilize all surgical instruments. It's the big silver box on the counter.

Mop/sweep/scoop-remains-from the floor. All things not marked for preservation is to be tossed into the incinerator.

(If Owen is really being an arse, toss something from his desk that looks important in too.)

Put all bodies/severed limbs/Pokémon into the morgue or incinerator as directed.

**DO NOT LEAVE WEEVIL BODIES OUT. **They explode when they decay, and that is a mess

Martha snatched the note from the wall, walking to the autopsy bay. There were two creatures in there, one looked to be ill, and was on the autopsy table, the other one looked little better, and was beside the table. It's limbs entwined with the other creature and a softly gurgling sound emanating from it. Martha coughed slightly, and the second creature turned slowly around. He grabbed the translator from the table and flicked it on.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Even through the translation she could tell that the creature was tired.

"I'm Martha Jones. I'm a friend of Torchwood." The creature seemed to nod.

"You are here to help us? Or torcher us like those UNIT people." Martha swallowed her anger. Unit had always been evil but this was a new low.

"I'm here to help. To watch over you until the others can get back." HE seemed to nod again.

"How many of Torchwood died. How many deaths are we responsible for." Martha wanted to reach out for creature, despite it's appearance it was obviously upset.

"None. No one died. Captain Harkness and Mr. Jones are in the hospital, injured, but alive." The creature's color seemed to brighten slightly.

"And Miss Sato, Doctor Harper?"

"Toshiko was injured, but is well enough to go home, and Doctor Harper is watching over her." Glib made a gurgling sound.

"Thank the stars. Is there anyone who can tell me exactly what happened? I would like to know how to thank for saving my partner." Martha blinked, the bunt use of that word slightly jarring. They were a couple then, that explains the attatchment.

"Not as of now. I only vaguely know the details myself." There was a stirring from the autopsy table and the other creature, Fall, rose slowly. Glib grabbed a bottle of water from the table with one tentacle, and poured it over the other creature. Martha noted the change in color wherever the water touched.

"I can tell you what I know." Glib wrapped his tentacles around Fall, assurances and affirmations pouring forth far too fast for the translator to pick up.

"There is no need now, I'm just glad that you're alive." Martha made to leave, figuring it polite to give them their privacy, but the paler one gently placed a tentacle on her shoulder.

"Come human, you should hear this too." She swallowed her fear of the touch and nodded stepping closer.

"When they separated us, I feared for your life. With what they did to me, stringing me up and cutting, burning ripping my flesh, I could only hope that they had swiftly killed you." Martha held a hand to her throat. It sounded so much like what the Master had done to Jack on the Valiant. She was horrified that UNIT was capable of such cruelty.

"Then I heard them speak of the thing that stole you, and I knew that you were dead. You couldn't be alive." Martha's brow furrowed, and Glib turned to her.

"The one you call Myfanwy." A tentacle pointed upwards. "Swooped in and carried me here. Ianto Jones brought me down, and Doctor Harper healed me." Martha smiled. It seemed to second nature for Ianto to help.

"Ianto Jones! He, he saved me, they were doing to him as they did to me. I heard his screaming, saw his wounds. They were testing the things that the made from me on him." Martha's fist clenched tightly at her sides. No one had spoken of testing.

"What kind of experimenting?" Martha nearly growled, and Glib and Fall shared a look.

"They injured his eyes, making it so that he could barely see. Then they injected him with sum serum made from me, and his sight came back. But when he rescued me, he said it was leaving him again. Unstable, they called it." Martha could have screamed. They had blinded Ianto, for the sake of testing! But then she froze and turned quietly to Fall.

"He saved you? But you said he was injured." Fall's color changed slightly

"He was. I do not know how, but he and Captain Harkness carried me into the light. I thought I was finally safe, until the Vile woman shot the Captain in the heart. Then they both collapsed, Ianto and the captain, and I on top of them. I was unconscious after that." Martha simply nodded, numbed by this information.

"It appears, Martha Jones, that both Fall and I have to thank Ianto Jones for our lives. Tell me, when will we be able to?" Martha's throat went dry, and she turned sadly to the creatures.

"I don't know. He is comatose. He may never wake up." There was a high pitched keening sound from the two creatures, and they both turned a near fiery red.

"We both owe him a life debt. We must serve that." Martha shook her head.

"He won't want you too. He only did it to see you live free." The aliens, rose on their tentacles.

"It must be served, or we will perish. An empathic being like him has sealed himself to us with the act." Martha nearly laughed.

"Ianto? An Empath? He's good at reading people, sure, but an Empath? You have to be kidding me!" The creatures sat back down, but their colors remained the same.

"He is, and a powerful one. He has formed a bond with the Captain Harkness. They are a pair, like Fall and I." Martha blinked and then nodded. She was out of her depth and in Doctor territory.

"All right then. Tomorrow I'll go to the hospital and check on Ianto. Fall laid back down on the table, paling considerable back to blue.

"The vial. It had the serum in it. Captain Harkness had it. Bring it here." Martha was confused, but nodded, scribbling the point on a scrap of paper from Owen's desk.

"Alright, Yes. I shall." This seemed to placate the two creatures, as they turned ti each other, the words coming from the translator were enough for her to quickly shut it off and rush from the autopsy bay, back to the kitchenette with a blush.


	97. Chapter 97: The Vial

Rhys sat in his chair, reading the magazines that had been left by concerned staff. He glanced over at Gertrude, surprised to find her typing away at her phone. She caught him staring and chuckled softly.

"Haven't seen a woman text before?" Rhys coughed slightly.

"Well yes it's just that-" She shook her head, laughing quietly.

"That I'm old? Yes, I'm aware of that. I'm so much older than I look. But it doesn't mean that I have to stay out of touch with modern technologies, now does it?" Rhys shook his head, embarrassed to have been caught.

"You're wife then, how long have you known her?" The Welshman asked, trying to turn the conversation.

"Since the war. Well, I should be more specific, the second great war. I was supposed to arrest her for espionage, her being Japanese." She shook her head, and Rhys noticed how her face seemed to look younger.

"I made a different call. Probably saved her life, though she more than made up for that." Gertrude laughed again, full of memories and love.

"I don't quite understand. There is no way that you could have been a soldier in World War two. You are no were near old enough." The woman smiled, genuine and warm.

"Flattery will get you everywhere sir, but you do know that I'm married." Rhys stuttered slightly, unsure of what to say.

"What I mean is, you can't be over 60 at the most." Gertrude laughed again.

"Son, I am 86 years old. My wife is 83. She was so young when we met, barely 16. I felt like such a cradle robber." Rhys denied it vehemently.

"That's impossible. I mean, with all due respect ma'am, you really don't look your age." The woman stood, snatching Jack's torn and bloody coat from the hook.

"Your captain doesn't look his age either son. Though I believe it's for a different reason than I. There are many strange and wonderful things in this world that most people don't understand. That's why groups like UNIT and Torchwood are around. I don't pretend to know what they do or why they do it, but n my time I've seen so much." She sat back down, her fingers running over the coat and down the seams of it, appreciating every stitch and line.

"Did something happen to you and your wife that makes you look younger?" Gertrude smiled at the man.

"There was a reason that I had a stint with UNIT." She laughed again. "I wonder, do you think that it would be alright if went and cleaned this?" She said holding up Jack's coat. "He seemed very fond of it, and I'd hate for these blood stains to set in." Rhys glanced nervously at the captain, and then back at the woman. He knew that the man was very protective of the coat, but he had the feeling that this woman could be trusted.

"I don't see why not. Just empty his pockets, don't want anything getting lost." The woman nodded, laying the jacket out over her lap and carefully searching through the pockets. The first thing she pulled out was a cell phone, the wallpaper of which had her blushing slightly.

"Oh god, please tell me that Jack doesn't have some derogatory picture on there." The woman chuckled.

"Well, no, but I can see exactly why he's so attached to Mr. Jones." She held the phone up, and Rhys laughed.

"Yea, the same picture made it's way around our little group. It isn't a half bad picture." Gertrude smiled, noticing the way that the poor man was shifting in his seat. A notepad and pencil made there way from another pocket, followed by a small bottle of lube. She quickly set that aside, trying to keep it out of Rhys's view. Something told her that it wasn't a good idea to let him see that one. The last thing she could find was a small silver vial, UNIT markings filling a tiny label on the side.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but your wife is at work, yes?" Rhys nodded, eyeing the small vial.

"Yes, though she's probably resting right now. Why?" Gertrude stood, leaving her basket behind and folding the coat over her arm.

"This looks like something that should be seen quickly. I have a feeling that Captain Harkness had a reason for grabbing it. Would you be a dear and call ahead for me? I'll run this to the Tourist Office were Mr. Jones works, and your wife can pick it up there." Rhys stood, and followed the woman to the door.

"Do you really think that It's that important?" Gertrude nodded, her brief stint with UNIT clueing her in on the contents of the vial.

"Yes, I really do." She opened the door, pulling the hood of her cloak back up.

"While I'm out, I'll get this coat cleaned. There is food in the basket by my chair, it was for the boys but they won't get to enjoy it for a while, so help yourself." She stepped out of the door, and out of sight, leaving Rhys alone, and thoroughly confused. He pulled at his phone, and tried his wife's cell, hopeing that she will forgive him for waking her.

Martha was walking around the HUB, Trying to pick up around everyone's work area's as per Ianto's instructions. There was a shrill ringing blairing from Gwen's desk, and Martha quickly rushed over, hoping to silence it before it woke the sleeping Welshwoman. It was her cell phone. Martha quickly answered it, silently praying that Gwen would forgive her.

"Hello. Gwen William's phone." She said. Trying to berate herself for the stupidity of it all.

"Err, hello? This is her husband, who is this?" Martha looked around debating whether or not to wake Gwen.

"This is Martha. Martha Jones? I'm here, err, helping out at work. Gwen is currently unavailable, can I take a message?" there was a short angry chuckle over the line.

"I know about Torchwood, and I know everyone on the team. So tell me, where is Gwen, and who the hell are you?" Martha sighed.

"Gwen is sleeping, safe and sound on the couch down here." Martha held the phone out towards Gwen, and Rhys could hear his wife's deafening snoring.

"Alright, I'll give you that. But what are you doing there?" Martha let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm a friend of Jack's. UNIT sent me to negotiate the terms peace with him, as apparently UNIT made a right mess of everything. When I got here, Gwen told me what she could. So I made the decision to stick around and watch the HUB until Doctor Harper or Miss Sato could come in." There was the sound of someone shifting, as Rhys relaxed into his seat.

"I think I remember Gwen talking about you once, a few months ago. Right before Owen was shot." Martha winced, the casual way that he alluded to the event slightly unsettling.

"Yea, that was me. Why were you calling? Did Jack or Ianto wake up?" The hope in her voice touched Rhys.

"No ma'am, but a friend of theirs is bringing you a vial that we found in Jack's coat. She's going to be at the Tourist Office in about twenty minuets or so. I figured I'd give Gwen a heads up." Martha nearly cheered, that must be the vial that Fall and Glib were referring too.

"I hope she's careful with that. It's really important." Rhys huffed slightly.

"What is it anyway. When Mrs. Gertrude saw the UNIT markings she nearly ran to you guys, but it all looked like gibberish to me." Martha smiled.

"UNIT has a code for their medical and scientific research. Different letters and numbers stand for different things. If she had any knowledge of that, then she would have known exactly what it was."

That gave Martha pause. This woman had back knowledge of UNIT, could she be trusted with the vial?

"But what is it!" Martha grabbed her coat, scribbling a note for Gwen on a scrap of paper.

"It's a cure of sorts. UNIT was experimenting on Ianto. They blinded him, and then attempted to make a serum from Fall to cure him. That vial contains what's left of that serum." Rhys growled, looking again at Ianto with admiration. He had been through so much, and still he could play the hero.

"I trust her to get it too you Martha. She's an older woman, in a big red cloak. You really can't miss her." Martha smiled.

"Alright. Ill message you my number, just in case things go south. Call me before you get Gwen, no need in waking her over the little stuff."

Yea, you're probably right. Just get that stuff for Ianto, yea? The poor bloke has been through enough for one life time. He doesn't need to be blind on top of it." Martha laughed sadly. The point was too true.

"Yea, I'll get it. No Jones will go blind on my watch." The line disconnected, and Martha quickly pulled out her phone, saving Rhys's number, as well as Tosh's and Owens. She wanted to b able to get ahold of everyone just in case.


	98. Chapter 98: Trust

Gertrude caught a cab strait to the Tourist Office, not trusting herself to run the whole way and still keep the vial safe. The vial. It had been such a long time since she had been with UNIT. Decades had passed, yet here they were, with the same codes in use. Even her age-weakened memory had provided her with enough to know the significance of the little vial. She didn't know exactly what had happened to the battered Welshman, but one thing was for certain, without this vial, he wouldn't be able to see again. As the cap reached the Plass, she quickly paid the river, hopping out with Jack's cote clutched firmly in one arm, the vial over her heart in the other. A dark skinned figure materialized from the darkness, and Gertrude strode forward, bent on safely delivering the vial,

"Who are you?" Gertrude demanded, and officers voice of command bringing power to her words.

"Martha Jones. I work for UNIT." Gertrude reeled back. She knew that UNIT had caused all this.

"What do you want, Mrs Jones?" Martha sighed, mentioning UNIT had had the opposite effect than what she had hoped.

"The vial, Mrs. Mayweather. The one for Mr. Jones?" That seemed to have cinched it. Gertrude drew herself up, and strode forcefully past Martha, strait for the Tourist Office.

"Mrs. Mayweather please, I'm only here to help." Gertrude spun around, the fury blazing in her eyes nearly illuminating the shadows of her face.

"You're people are the reason why Mr. Jones and Captain Harkness are in the state that they are in. Do you honestly believe that I'd give you something like that?" Martha sputtered, more than shocked by this elderly woman's vehemence.

"Ma'am, how on earth do you know that?" Gertrude stepped closer to Martha, examining her, evaluating her for her weakness or her lies.

"I know what you're kind do to people. Give me one good reason to trust you.: Martha chewed her lip lightly. Nothing she could say would convince the woman of her good intentions. She had a feeling not even threatening would work. Martha crumpled, throwing her hands up in submission.

"I don't have one. Not one that would mean anything to you. You would have to trust me, and that's something that I'm sure you know better than to do." Mathe drew her coat tightly around herself, and then bowed slightly to Gertrude.

:If you would like, I'll go wake Gwen and have her come up and retrieve the thing. I know you won't give it to me.: Gertude paused, surprised by the woman's casual use of the Torchwood member's name, as well as the reluctance she could here in her voice.

"Wait, Mrs. Jones., tell me, were you always UNIT?" Martha shook her head.

"No. I stated out under, well let's just say that Jack and I worked under the same Doctor. He got Torchwood, and I joined UNIT. Though after what they've done to Ianto, I don't know how much longer that's going to last." Saying out loud the nagging thought that had been plaguing her all day, Martha felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She could see, too, the way those words seemed to shift her into Gertrude's favor.

"The doctor, he didn't happen to be a strange man that traveled about in a blue box, collecting beautiful women and gallivanting about time and space, did he?" Martha did a very impressive impersonation of a fish, before shaking herself.

:How could you-" Gertrude smiled, a genuine and warm smile that seemed to thaw any animosity between the two women.

"I did some time with UNIT. Even in the good old days they talked about the Doctor, He and his recorder playing, bowtie wearing oddness. He was wa legend really, an enigma. A creature or man that we could never hope to understand. Even after I left the military and settled down-mind you that was but twenty years ago- I was kept up-to-date about the latest gossips. Like Torchwood's fall and the appearances of the blue box. It makes sense that Captain Harkness traveled with him. It would explain why he looks so young." Martha shook her head, shivering again as the wind whipped around them. She walked to towards the tourist office, becoming the elder woman to follow.

"No point in freezing out here, You aren't likely to hand me that vieal, and I'm not going to let you leave with it, so you might as well jeep warm.: Gertrude shook her head, eyeing Martha over once more, her gaze piercing , as if it were reading her inside and out.

"If I give you this, what are you going to do with it? Return it to UNIT, give it to Ianto and hope it works? It can't be very stable." Martha nodded.

"I'm going to be working with Doctor Harper in trying to stabilize it as best we can. It's our best bet to restoring Ianto back to sight. That is, if he wakes up." The worry she felt for the Welshman crept into her voice, and Gertrude knew that she could trust this woman She cared,

"He'll wake up dear, they both will. You just wait and see." She grabbed Martha's hand, carefully placing the vieal into it before curling her fingers around it.

"You fix him, and I'll handle the Captain's coat. These things need a bit of care." She patted the stained bundle in her arms, and Martha smiled.

"Ianto will be glad that you fix that. I swear he loves that thing more than the man that usually wears it." Gertrude laughed softly,

"I doubt that's possible. You should have seen them the other night. They were practically pawing at each other all through their dinner. And the fit that Captain had when Ianto got a headache." The woman smiled, and Martha looked inquisitively at the strange woman. She hadn't realized how personally close this woman was to her friends.

"Well I promise you this ma'am. By the time you get that coat mended and back to Jack, I'll have this fixed up for Ianto." Gertrude nodded, choosing to trust Martha. She took her leave, walking back to the road and hailing a cab, disappearing into the night of Cardiff.


	99. Chapter 99: The Cure

Martha practically flew into the HUB, only pausing to wait for the lift and the cog door before dashing into the Med bay. She ignored the startled squawking that erupted from Glib and Fall. She shushed them, quickly grabbing a syringe from the tray and extracting an milliliter of the serum. She hard the gurgling increasing and she turned, flicking on the the translator quickly.

"Is that the serum? Is that the stuff that they made from me?" Fall was waving his tentacles franticly and Martha nodded quickly.

"Yes, yes it is. What did they do ti make it? Do you know?" Fall inclined his eyestalks.

"It's my blood. Well a synthetic replica of the earth-equivalent chemicals in my blood. I'm assuming that they used the chemicals strait from my blood that they couldn't identify. Those would be the reason that it's instable." Martha waved the syringe in the air.

"So what do I do. You guys tell me." Glib gave a multi -tentacled approximation of a shrug,

"Fall is the scientist here. I'm just a hatch-watcher." Martha looked at them again/

"So a scientist and a babysitter?" She laughed lightly. "Talk about you're odd couple." Glib twisted his eyestalks.

"You misunderstand. I watch the laying of the larva sacs and then modify and care for them until th first molting. That's when the biological contributors would claim their offspring." Fall held his tentacles up.

"This is a tangent. The point is, that You need to isolate the chemicals they used in that, so that we can find more stable variations." Martha nodded, glad to have directions, as well as thankful for the help of the creature. She emptied the syringe into a test tube, and ran it through a centrifuge. There was a groan from above, and Martha heard a thump as Gwen rolled off of the couch.

"Gwen, you alright?" there was a grunt and Martha quickly double checked her work, before stripping off her gloves and advancing up the stairs.

"Gwen?: The Welshwoman was on the floor leaning against the edge of the couch while rubbing her forehead.

"Bloody fucking hell. " Martha stifled her laugh as she bent down to help the angry Welshwoman up.

"What happened?" Martha said, helping Gwen back onto the couch.

"I wacked my head on the bloody table is what happened." Gwen squinted up at Martha questioningly. "And what about you Why do you look like you just ran a marathon with a weevil?" The doctor blushed slightly, realizing the state that she must be in.

"One Mrs. Mayweather brought me a vial. I'm currently working on stabilizing it for-" Gwen's eyes widened and she grabbed Martha's arm.

"Vial, a little silver one? " Martha nodded, concerned by the level of intensity coming from the Welshwoman.

"That's for Ianto! God, how did I forget about that? Martha do you know how important that is" Martha nodded again, trying to soothe the obviously distressed woman.

"Yes. I'm stabilizing it so that when Ianto wakes up I can administer it. If it works, his sight will be fine. Maybe not perfect, but he won't be anywhere near blind." Gwen seemed to relax a little, and her hand went back to rubbing her swiftly bruising temple.

"Good then. You say that Mrs. Mayweather brought it? That woman is a miracle. I wonder what her story is." Martha shrugged, listening for the centrifuge to slow.

"I don't know what her story is, but I think we need to find out. She knows far too much about Torchwood and UNIT." Gwen shook her head.

"She has turned into more of a help than we thought, and apparently her wife is a great cook." Martha's eyes widened.

"Wife!" She squeaked, and then smiled. "I swear that you people will never fail to surprise me." Gwen chuckled a little, and then gripped her head as a loud, drawn out beef filled the HUB.

"Looks like that's done then. I'll just run it through a few tests, and we should be able to get a fix on what they gave Ianto." Gwen nodded.

"Do you need Tosh or Owen?" Martha hesitated.

"I'll give them a few more hours rest. You too, I know you must still be tired." Gwen streatched.

"No, I sleapt for what, 6 hours?" The Welshwoman paled, and then fumbled beside the couch for her boots.

"Gwen, where are you going?" Gwen hastily tugged her boots on, muttering curses under her breath.

"Rhys! He's been sitting at the hospital all day. I need to go tell him that it's ok too leave." Martha nodded.

"Tell him that I got the vial, and Gertrude has the coat. I have a feeling that he'll know what that means." Gwen nodded, throwing on her coat and taking the invisible lift to the surface. Martha dashed down to the autopsy bay, watching with curious fascination as Fall twirled and flailed around the area, mixing chemicals and gurgling all the while at Glib. She knocked on the wall to announce her presence, and Fall barely glanced at her.

"There you are human. Is the dark one alright?" Martha nodded.

"Dark one? That's a peculiar name." Glib looked at her.

"I don't see how? Her appearance is very dark. Like she is made of shadows. You on the other hand, are very light in color. The others are varying shades of each." Martha squinted, considering this information. Dug around on Owen's desk, finding a picture and holding it infront of Glib.

"Tell me, what do you see?" The creature squinted, and then looked back at her.

"A very dark human who looks to be devoid of many coverings. The background is also very dark. Martha looked at the pale woman posed suggestively in front of a snow scape and laughed.

"You see in negative! That's brilliant that is." Glib just looked at her inquisitive.

"You do not see like that?" Martha shook her head, dodging one of Fall's tentacles as it reached for a vial behind her.

"No, I see the exact opposite. I'm much darker skinned than Gwen, by human standards at least." Glib knotted his tentacles.

"Fascinating. I was wondering why your medical facilities were so dark in color. To you they must be shining light." Martha nodded.

"Exactly." She turned to Fall.

"How did you know which chemicals they used?" Fall paused, and turned to her. She noticed the darkened patch on his tentacle.

"I tasted it. I just needed you to separate the mixture so that I disn't get confused." She held up a vial of mixture.

"There is only one thing that this needs, a sort of medium for it to mix with. Something that will not harm the human, and wont effect the injection of it." Martha snapped her fingers.

"Saline?" She grabbed a syringe of it and handed it to Fall, who squirted a few drops onto his skin. He hissed slightly, and Martha saw the patch pucker.

"This will work, as long as you are sure that it is harmless to humans." Martha nodded.

"Yes, it's completely harmless to us." Fall nodded and added it to the mixture. He then placed it over a Bunsen burner, and Martha watched as the liquid bubbled and frothed, before settling down to a slight pinkish tint.

"That is done then. Inject this into Mr. Jones as soon as he awakens, and his sight should return to him." Fall placed the vial in Martha's hand.

"It is not a potent as the other one, but the effects should be permanent. It should stimulate the rapid healing traits that we have, in the optical tissues of a human." Martha nodded.

"Thank you Fall, Glib, this is amazing." Fall's color deepened slightly.

"Just working towards repaying our life debt." Martha smiled. And then placed the vial in a container, sealing it carefully before tucking it into her purse.

"I'm heading off to the hospital, do you two need anything before I leave?" The two creatures looked at each other, and then back at her.

"No. Just go and fix Mr. Jones. He saved us, we owe him." Martha nodded once more and left the HUB, catching a cab to the hospital.


	100. Chapter 100: Invasion

The cab pulled up in front of the Inn, and Gertrude hopped out, paying the cabby and tipping him generously. He had managed to make the entire journey with remarkable speed. She hurried up the steps, only to find the door slightly ajar, and the lights on. That was enough to worry the soldier in Gertrude. She crept silently around the house, stopping in the shed to grab her handgun from it's box. She reveled in the weight of it, and chided herself for not using it more often. She grabbed a fistful of bullets and loaded the revolver, pocketing a few more. If someone had seen fit to make an enemy of Gertrude Mayweather, than they had better be able to pay the price. A few more seconds passed, as she stashed the Captain's coat and her own cloak, grateful that she had worn practical clothing instead of those stuffy outfits that she wears for the guests. There was a thud from inside the house, and Gertrude leapt into action, moving stealthily to the service entrance. She heard voice's within.

"Mrs. Mayweather, where is your wife?" That voice, cold clipped, militant. A soldier.

"By whose authority do you come storming into my home and demanding to know were she is?" Gertrude smiled. Olivia was a ball of fire, despite her sweet persona.

"By the authority of UNIT under the command of the Queen." Her blood ran cold. After all this time UNIT had finally come to do what it had failed to do in the past. It had finally come to destroy her heart.

"Oh, UNIT. Well I haven't dealt with your kind in quite a while. Tell me, how is Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart? I've not seen him in ages." Gertrude stifled a laugh. She knew that Olivia was aware of the Brigadier's passing. They had both been at the service. But appear old and outdated was a keen safety move, and it seemed to be paying off. When the soldier next spoke, his voice was more patronizing.

"The Brigadier is dead ma'am. He has been for a few years. But we still need to know-"

"That's a pity then. He was always keen on my coffee. Would you like some coffee?" Olive chimed, and Gertrude heard her shuffling out of the room, followed by the scuffling of boots. She saw the lights in the room flicker off, and she pushed open the door carefully, gun at the ready. When no threat presented itself, she moved further in, crouching amidst the stacks of crates and furnishings that she knew so well. When she reached the door to the kitchen she heard the voices again, this time much more agitated and commanding.

"No, ma'am, no coffee. Just tell us where your wife is. She is in position of top secret UNIT property, and needs to return it to us." Gertrude saw red. That Martha woman must have called her superiors and ratted her out. Obviously she hadn't told them that she already had the vial, or else UNIT wouldn't be here.

"My Gerty? You boys must be mistaken. The three of you, thinking an old woman like her could do that, for shame." Gertrude smiled again. Obviously Olivia knew that she was here, and was helping her plan her entrance. Three armed opponents? Not too hard, especially with surprise on her side.

"We know that you and your wife have both been working with Torchwood, especially Captain Harkness and Mr. Jones. Are you aware that they staged an attack on a UNIT facility yesterday?" Gertrude could practically see Olivia feigning shock.

"Those boys! Never! They are the sweetest people to walk the earth! Oh the shame of you, accusing my poor old wife and those lovely kids of such horrible things." There was a scuffling sound, and Gertrude grit her teeth as she heard Olivia gasp in pain.

"Enough of your games. Tell us where she is, or you'll be und arrest for conspiring against the crown." Olivia let out a choked sob.

"Never. I've lived through far too many things for you to come into my home and threaten me for no good reason." There was a sharp smack.

"You are a traiter to the crown. Silos, Flannigan, take her-" Gertrude burst through the door, leveling a bullet through the leader's arm. Two more shots rang out as she took at each of the other soldiers legs. Olivia swung around, jar slamming over the leaders head sent him sprawling to the ground, unconscious. The other two soldiers, held up their hands, sensing defeat. Gertrude trained her gun on them, her eyes never leaving theirs as she spoke.

"Olive, are you alright? He didn't hurt you too bad did he?" Olivia wrapped her arms around her wife from behind.

"nothing these old bones can't handle. Glad you turned up though, I'd hate to have had to spend any more time in a UNIT prison." Gertrude smiled slightly.

"Just like old times. If it isn't too much, go fetch some rope and let's tie this idiot's up. I know that these two can't run, but when the other one wakes up, he'll be spitting mad." Olivia nodded, limping out of the room to grab some rope. Gertrude leveled the gun at the two men.

"Tell me, what does UNIT get at coming here and threatening old women? I just came from the hospital were two of the best men I know are laying near dead because of your people. Why are you here?" The soldiers looked frantically at each other, and then back at her. She cocked the revolver, and one of them broke.

"We were monitoring one of our Agents. She was showing signs of going rougue, so we tapped her cell phone. We intercepted a call about you delivering the vial to her, and we had reason to believe that it was the same vial that had gone missing during the fighting at the warehouse." Gertrude allowed herself a little smile. Martha hadn't betrayed them then. Not intentionally.

"Well, I don't have it. It's been given to the proper authorities, just like you will be." Olivia came back into the room, a bundle of rope in one hand, and a suitcase in the other.

"Thinking ahead then, go on, pack the car. I'll call the police and tell them were to pick these three miscreants up." Olivia headed to the door.

"Oh, and can you pick up my sewing kit? The captain's coat took a bit of a battering and I intend to mend it for him." Olivia nodded, heading out the service entrance into the dark. Gertrude forced the two wounded men to their feet, forcing them to lean on each other to stand. A few quick knots and one was tied in one corner, one in the other, both of their wounds field dressed. The commander was tied to the island in the middle of the room, his wound untouched and bleeding. She pulled out her phone.

"Yes, We have an emergency. Three intruders have been shot. Yes, none dead, two took a shot to the leg, a third to the arm. Yes one is unconscious. No address. Trace the call. Oh and contact UNIT. Yes I think they'd be very interested." She hung up and shook her head at the men, dashing out to meet her wife.

"I got the coat, your things, as well as my knife and some more ammo for you. I do hope we don't have to use any of it. I'm too old for all this." Gertrude nodded sliding into the drivers seat, and gunning the old car out of the drive.

"Would you mind putting some of your stain treat on that coat? I can at least get rid of the blood stains before we get to the hospital." Olivia nodded, sprinkling the solution on the coat in her lap. Gertrude glanced over and frowned at the deep bruise forming on her wifes cheek.

"Did you save that footage?" Olivia nodded, pulling back the collar of her blouse to show the slender silver flash drive.

"good. I'd hate for them to get away with hurting you. At least now we have evidence." Olivia nodded again, and winced.

"Gerty, please tell me that you got rid of whatever it is you had. I don't think that I can run with my hips being as bad as they are." Gertrude nodded, pulling onto the main road.

"I gave it to Torchwood, so that they can fix it. Apparently UNIT saw fit to blind Ianto, and not let him keep the cure." Olivia smiled.

"You just couldn't resist playing the hero could you." There was no loss of humor in her voice, no lack of mirth. Olivia was proud of Gertrude, even if it did result in them becoming fugitives of the law. It wasn't the first nor the last time they had been in this situation.

"You're right, I couldn't. But hey, I kept my nose clean for twenty years, that has to count for something." Olivia shook her head.

"It has been so quiet lately. Oh there's your turn." Gertrude followed her wife's directions.

"The sad thing is that I nearly feel guilty for doing it. I've uprooted our quiet little retirement." Olivia placed her hand on the woman's arm.

"It doesn't matter dear. Right now we need to focus on Mr. Jones and Captain Harkness. They'll help us get everything straightened out later." Gertrude nodded, focusing once more on the road. They drove in silence after that, both women contemplating recent events and the possibilities of the future.


	101. Chapter 101: End Game (1)

Gwen walked into the hospital room, smiling at the sight of her husband. He was sprawled out ,asleep, in a chair, a half-eaten container of pasta on the table beside him. Gwen shook her head and walked up to him, kissing his forehead before smacking his arm firmly. He jumped up with a jolt.

"Oh Blimey, Gwen, it's you." Gwen down at him.

"Yes it's me, what are you still doing here? There is no point in you being here." Rhys shrugged and stretched, scratching his stomach as he stood.

"Bloody hell Gwen, what happened to your forehead? You look like someone whipped you with a gun!" Gwen rolled her eyes, absentmindedly rubbing her forehead with a hand.

"I rolled into the coffee table in my sleep. Relax. No one has threatened me or hurt me."

"I'm here watching over the boys as they sleep. Gertrude was keeping me company for a while. She found some vial or something and went to give it to that Martha person. Martha is one of your kind right?" Gwen nodded.

"She's good. And we got that vial. Martha was working on fixing it when I left. Now, tell me, why are you here and not at the flat, in bed, waiting on the morning." Rhys shrugged.

"I didn't feel right leaving 'em. Ianto is good mate, and I'd hate for him to wake up with no one here." He glanced over the beds once more

"Rhys, love, I doubt that they'll wakeup on your watch. Go home, and I'll be here to take care of them." The Welshman nodded.

"Gertrude left some food if you're hungry. Call me if anything happens." Gwen nodded, ushering her husband out the door. There was a pause, where she simply stared at the two men in the room with her, absorbing their slack features and pale skin. They looked nothing like they normally did. Ianto was especially surreal. Nothing of his appearance could confirm that he was alive at all. She walked over, stroking a stray curl from his forehead. This man had done so much, been through so much, and she hadn't made it any easier on him. She remembered the hell that she had put him through after Jack had left. How mean she had been, and how he had simply took it, along with any extra duties that he saw weren't getting done. The Archives, the Tourist Office, Myfanwy, the Weevils, Cleaning and coffee, caring for their every whim. It was heartbreaking to look at him now, comatose, slack. Jack, she knew, would come back. There was no doubt there. But Ianto, he wasn't immortal. He hadn't been played with by some mysterious alien doctor. He doesn't have those 51st century advancements that Jack had been graced with. He was a human, as unaltered as they came. Gwen let herself tuck the sheets around him a little bit tighter, while bidding a silent apology. There was a quiet moment, were Gwen simply stood, gazing down at the Welshman, an eerie allusion to a time were she had sat with the Captain all those months ago. She sighed, settling herself down into the chair that Rhys had been in, gazing over the two men.

Martha was in a cab, rushing quickly to the hospital with her container of serum clutched in her purse. Once she arrived at the hospital, she noticed the peculiar looking men around the building. Peculirar in the fact that they were so painfully normal. All of them were meandering about in kakis and polo, or jeans and plain shirts. Each one gazing around, or reading a paper, or whistling innocently to himself. She recognized it though, surveillance. Plain clothes soldiers set to watch for something, or someone. Martha cursed silently, ducking into the shadows between the streetlamps. A few moments of looking around and she spotted her way in. A nondescript door on the side of the hospital, obviously a workers entrance, had been left slightly ajar. She knew it was a trap, that much was obvious, but that means that they were expecting her to evade them. They were waiting for a woman matching her description to move her way through the side entrance, regardless of the security at the front door. Martha smiled, pulling her hair up and unzipping her jacket, before smiling kindly at one of the oh-so-obvious guards. He smiled back, giving her a polite wave, before turning to surreptitiously watch the other door. Martha slipped into the building, running to the stairs as quickly as possible. She arrived at Jack and Ianto's floor, out of breath and very flushed. She leaned against the wall for a moment, before following the corridor. There, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Jones? Martha laughed quietly. She obviously had the right room. She knocked softly, hoping not to have any unwanted company on the inside. Instead the door swung open, and Martha was greeted by a very odd looking Gwen.

"Martha, are you alright?" Martha nodded, tossing her purse down and drawing out the small container.

"Yea, I'm fine. The place is crawling with UNIT. Obviously they are looking for one of us. Did your Rhys get out ok?" Gwen nodded.

"Yea, he called when he reached the flat. What about you? They didn't get you." Martha shook her head.

"No, they didn't. I was afraid, but now that I think about it, they couldn't have been looking for me." Martha shook her head, and then her eyes widened with horror.

"Mrs. Mayweather! She would be heading back here with Jack's coat. Oh you don't think that they could be after her, do you?" Gwen's face matched Martha's expression.

"If they found out that she had that vial, they could be waiting for her in order to retrieve it." Gwen pulled out her phone, and quickly dialed Owen.

"Owen Harper." There was a note of discord in his voice, but Gwen ignored it.

"Owen, listen. I need you to come to find and call Olivia Mayweather." There was a rustling sound in the back=ground as Owen flipped himself upright on the couch.

"Why do you need to speak with her Gwen. What are you even doing up?" Gwen huffed, and turned to Martha, who gave her a sympathetic shrug.

"She and Gertrude are in some serious trouble with UNIT. I need you to find her number, and warn her before they both walk into a trap." There was a grunt over the line.

"Gwen, are you sure that you're not still asleep? How are two old women from the outskirts of Cardiff in any sort of danger from UNIT?" Martha gestured for Gwen to hand her the phone, and the Welshwoman obliged.

"Owen, it's Martha. The hospital is crawling with UNIT, and Gertrude was the last person seen with a bit of top secret UNIT medicine. She turned it in to Torchwood, but UNIT doesn't know that, and they're looking for her. Now I know that I'm probably the last person that you want to hear right now, but believe me when I say that I', on your side." There was a tense pause, before the deadman spoke again.

"I'll get ahold of them as quickly as possible. Tosh and I will head that way as well." Martha smiled.

"Alright then. I'll keep an eye on Jack and Ianto until you guys get here." There was another pause. "Be careful Owen." The line went dead and Martha handed the phone back to Gwen.

"let's hope that we're in time. I don't think that I could forgive myself if anything happened to Gertrude." Gwen nodded, and settled herself down into the chair. Martha snatched a lab coat from the nurses' station outside, figuring that it would be bestto be seen as the doctor.


	102. Chapter 102: End Game (2)

Owen pulled out his dusty old phonebook, digging until he found the home number for Mrs. Gertrude Mayweather. He dialed it, hoping that everything was ok.

"Cardiff Police department." Owen gazed down at his phone in shock.

"Err, I'm looking for Gertrude Mayweather? This is her nephew." Owen added, hoping that the family plea would get him a little further.

"Your aunt isn't here son. But if you see her, let her know that we're looking for her too, She appears to have assaulted three men. One is in critical condition." Owen didn't know whether to smile or scream. Obviously it had been an act of self-defense. Probably against UNIT soldiers. But that means that the pair were in danger, and had just became fugitives from the law.

"What of her wife? Olivia, is she there?" There was a rustling sound, and the scraping of a pen on paper.

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." Owen paniced rushing into his room and flipping the lights on, waking Tosh.

"Matt. Matt Mayweather. I was calling to check up on them. Aunt Olivia hadn't been feeling well lately." Owen looked down at the confused Tosh, who was blinking up at him from the bed.

"Owen?" She squeaked, and he held his hand over his phone, motioning for Tosh to hurry and get up.

"Oh, well, Matt. I would like you to come in and talk with us. You're aunt's actions are very puzzling, and we would like to get this whole thing sorted." Owen sneered. _I bet you would._ He hung up the call, not bothering with the pleasantries of dismissal.

"Tosh, hurry. We need to get to the hospital." The technician sat up, wincing at the pain in her side. She grabbed her glasses of the end table, sliding them on and squinting at Owen.

"Why, are they awake?" Owen shook his head.

"No, but there are rigger things to worry about. Do you remember Gertrude and Olivia? The elderly couple from that inn were we found Ianto?" Tosh nodded, swinging herself to the edge of the bed.

"Yea, why? Are they in the hospital?" Owen shook his head, pulling the wheelchair around for her.

"Not exactly. UNIT is after them, and they are on their way into a big trap. We need to go intercept them. How are you?" Tosh winced, settling into the wheelchair and shivering slightly.

"Cold. Can you hand me a pair of pants? Just one of your shirts is not going to be any help against the cold." Owen nodded, rummaging through the drawers of his dresser before pulling out a dangerously small pair of jeans.

"Oh please tell me that those aren't yours." Owen shook his head.

"No, they're, were, Katie's. " Tosh swallowed the lump in her throat. The fact that the doctor still had a pair of his dead fiancé's jeans was one thing. But the fact that he was willing to part with them after all these years, just for Tosh, that got to her.

"Alright then. I'm afraid that you'll have to help me get into those." Owen rolled his eyes, and rushed over to her, helping the injured woman wriggle into the jeans before helping her with her socks and boots.

"There. Nice and dressed. Now let's go." Tosh nodded, and Owen wheeled her out of the apartment, into the left and down to the lobby. Owen wheeled Tosh through the parking lot, stopping short at his car. The sound of sirens in the distance had them both on edge, and Owen fumbled with tossing Tosh into the car. The Wheelchair was abandoned, as Owen knew that they could get one at the hospital. They peeled out of the lot, and onto the road, just to see two Cardiff police cruisers occupy the spot were they had been.

"Owen how did they know were you were?" Owen ripped the battery out of his phone.

"They traced my call. Figured that they would. Now we just need to get to the hospital. I really hope that Jack wakes up soon. I don't want to have to deal with all this bloody paperwork." Tosh smiled at that."

"Then you shouldn't be worrying about Jack, and more on Ianto. He's the one who fills out all of your paperwork anyway." Owen laughed slightly, swinging and speeding through the streets until the had reached the hospital. As they pulled in, a black sports car came gunning in behind them, sliding recklessly into a spot before they cut the engines. Owen hopped out of the car, ready to curse out the driver for his driving, when none other than Gertrude popped out of the car.

"Oh, good, Doctor Harper! I'm glad you're here. Olive and I just had a bit of a run in with UNIT." Owen shook his head, and walked to the other side of the car, opening the door for Tosh.

"Owen, who was the idiot who pulled in here like that?" Gertrude walked around the car, and the technician blushed.

"Mrs. Mayweather?" The older woman laughed.

"That's Mrs. Idiot to you." Olivia came around with a wheelchair, her own gate slightly pained.

"Here you go dear. Gerty said that you ended up getting shot. Might be best not to overdo it then." Tosh smiled, and Owen helped her into the wheelchair.

"Are we all heading up then?" Gertrude said, and Owen shrugged.

"I guess. I mean, we are all going to end up in the same place eventually, might as well go now, while we are in a group." Gertrude nodded, and then pointed down at her side.

"If they try anything, I've got "em." Tosh bristled, getting the point.

"I just hope that you have a permit for that." The woman nodded, and they all advanced to the elevator.

Gertrude could feel it, the tense atmosphere of the hospital. The way that the two young members of Torchwood were watching around themselves, as if preparing for battle. She glanced over at Olivia, who was leaning heavily on the wheelchair in front of her.

"Olive, honey, are you alright?" The woman smiled faintly, and clutched the bundle of Jack's coat tighter to her chest.

"I'm fine. I just need to sit down sooner rather than later." Gertrude nodded, and Tosh placed her hand on the older woman's . The door to the lift opened, pouring them strait into the hallways of the hospital. Gertrude shrugged her cloak around herself, concealing her frame, while Olivia, hunched herself over Tosh's wheelchair. Owen snatched a lab coat and tossed it on, not caring whose it was. They walked like that to the hospital room, no one batting an eyelash at their presence. A swift rapping on the door gained them entrance to see Gwen pacing, the floor, Martha hovering over the monitors, and the two men still looking near death.

"So, It looks like team Torchwood is back together again. Good to see you here Doctor Jones." Martha smiled at him, and moved swiftly behind the group, shutting the door.

"I take it your journey here wasn't as pleasant as we had hoped." Gwen stated, gazing meaningfully at the specks of dried blood on Gertrude's hands, and then frowning at the bruise on Olivia's cheek.

"No. UNIT was waiting for me when I got back." Martha bristled, her eyes darkening with anger.

"UNIT did this to you ma'am?" She stated, pointing at Olivia's eye. The woman nodded.

"Yes, but Gerty got them back. A crack shot she is. Disabled the three of them without killing a soul or getting herself killed." Both Gwen and Owen shared a look of mutual shock. An elderly woman managed to take out three armed UNIT soldiers?

"Anything to keep you save dear." She said, and there was a collective sigh at that.

"Well now. This room isn't quite large enough for the six of us to stand around and stare. I'm going to go to the cafeteria and eat. I'm starved." Tosh emphasized this by wheeling herself back to the door.

"Martha, I take it that you can handle things in here for a while?" The woman nodded, smiling sweetly at the concern the dead man showed for Tosh. Olivia shuffled into a chair, sitting heavily and sighing.

"I think I'll just take a breather if it's all the same to you. There's been far too much excitement for these old bones." Gertrude laughed, and then turned to Gwen.

"Would you happen to know where I could wash up? This room doesn't exactly seem to be equipped with an on-suit. " Gwen smiled and nodded.

"Follow me, and we'll get you cleaned up a bit." The woman nodded, and the four left the room, leaving Olivia and Martha alone with the men. Martha turned to Olivia, and knelt in front of her, her fingers gently prodding the bruise.

"Mrs. Mayweather, I cannot begin to say how sorry I am that UNIT did this. I won't try to defend their actions, or justify them. I can only say that I am doing what I can here, and that UNIT can expect my resignation in the near future." Olivia smiled at Martha, her hand gently silling the doctor's.

"You are a kind soul Doctor Jones. I know not all of UNIT is bad, it's just the few bad drops that poison the well. I'm just afraid that I've gotten far too many drops as of late." The woman chuckled softly. "Though not as bad as this Torchwood bunch. They seem to have the worst luck." Martha nodded, glancing over at the men once more. It was then that she noticed, with some alarm, that their brainwaves and heart rates were spiking. She leapt up and rushed over, terrified and fascinated by the sudden change. Yet as quickly as it happened, it slowed, not to normal, but into one solid pattern between the two men. As if they were sharing one mind and one heart.


	103. Chapter 103: Awake

Floating, that was the sensation. It surprised Jack. He had never had sensations in death before. Then again he had come to the conclusion that this wasn't quite a death. Near-death, perhaps. Or maybe this is what it felt like to finally die. May this whole floating and screaming and tugging was hell finally dragging him underneath. But there was that thread, a thread of crimson in the black. It nearly glowed as it stretched out to the immortal. He wrenched his non0existance being towards it. More that shocked when he saw that he neared it. He grasped at it, claiming it with the sensation of a hand, and was shocked by the speed in which he was ripped forward, or backwards, or sideways. He was torn from his reality into the blinding light of another.

Ianto clung to the tendril of consciousness that was the nonsensical word. He wrapped himself around it, curling everything he could in the effort to stay grounded. The tendril burned suddenly, with a sort of cold heat. Suddenly Ianto was no longer holding onto an ephemeral red line, but a solid being. He felt the being shudder, felt it wrap it's arms around him with breathtaking ferocity. He looked down, and saw, with a wave of recognition, the man that he had grown to love, clinging to him for dear life, terror and thrill shocking open his eyes, and setting his mouth agape.

Jack couldn't believe it. Here he was, dead to all of his knowledge, and there was Ianto. Wrapped around him, holding him. He could feel the warmth of the Welshman, he could see his features clearly, yet there was a sort of emptiness. A kind of hollow echo in his eyes, that scared Jack. He attempted to speak, hoping that words could fill the gap in the Welshman's eyes.

"Ianto? Ianto, what's going on, where are we? Ianto, it's me, it's Jack." There was nothing. The Hollowness was still there, the empty stare. Jack screamed, and thrashed against Ianto, floating in the white nothingness. The form of Ianto wrapped around him tighter, stilling his movements but showing no sign of seeing him, of recognizing him. Jack let a tear slip down his cheek, as he nestled in against the Welshman. Placing one last kiss to his lover's lips. Suddenly the Whiteness exploded. And a searing pain burned through the Welshman and the immortal, they were wrenched apart, pulled back into their respective consciousness, and back to consciousness. Jack awoke, gasping for breath and shaking on a hospital bed, connected to a myriad of machines. He gazed around the room, only to see Ianto mirroring him, his body heaving for on a similar bed to his side. There gazes caught, and Jack noticed with some horror, the slightly off focused way that his Welshman looked at him.

"Ianto?" Jack whispered, and the Welshman smiled.

"Jack." He rasped, and Jack nearly wept with relief. The hollowness was gone. His Ianto was back, and they were both, apparently, in the hospital. A figure appeared from the edge of the room, a syringe in hand. It advanced on Ianto, it's hands held before it.

"Mr. Jones, it's good to have you back with us." That voice, Jack recognized it, and on any other occasion it would be welcomed. Ianto, however, was looking quite panicked, and squinting at the figure.

"Martha Jones? Is that you?" Jack was shocked by the level of fear in his lovers voice.

"Ianto, what's wrong." Ianto turned to him, his face pale and taught.

"I can't see." The bottom seemed to fall out of Jack's stomach. UNIT had blinded Ianto. His Ianto. The man would never see again. Yet with this revelation the other voice appeared, and attempted to sooth the distraught Welshman.

"Ianto, UNIT blinded you remember? But you guys managed to get that serum out of there. We fixed it." Ianto still looked panicked, and Jack could feel it burning in his gut.

Ianto was frantic, he couldn't see anything past a milky haze. He knew were Jack was, he could sense his presence, as well as two more in the room. The first one was moving steadily towards him the warm and kind presence that always surrounded Martha Jones. Ianto could sense no ill-will from her, and began to calm a bit. If she had fixed that serum, than he might just be able to see again. It was the other feeling in the room, the strong and caring being, that convinced Ianto that he was, for the moment, safe.

"Alright then. Just hurry. It's horrible not being able to see." Martha nodded, and then chided herself for doing so. She filled the syringe with the serum, sending a silent prayer to whatever higher power was out there, before injecting the Welshman with it.

Ianto hissed at the pinch and the slow spreading burn of the injection. He could feel Jack's worry flooding him in waves. Martha bit her lip, watching as the film over Ianto's eyes cleared slightly, and they came back into focus. He squinted around the room, his eyes finally resting on Jack, who was fidgeting with the sheets on his hospital bed.

"If you keep that up, they're going to tie you down, sir." Jack looked down at his hands, and then shot the Welshman his signature Harkness smile.

"Glad to see that you can see. How many fingers am I holding up." Ianto Laughed, and then squinted furiously at Jack.

"I'm not quite that well. This is not the sort of super sight I had from UNIT's version." Martha cleared her throat.

"No, it isn't. In fact this is quite a bit weaker than what they gave you." Jack sat up a little bit.

"Will this wear off?" Martha shook her head. From what Fall said, no. The effects should be permanent, but they aren't as strong. You'll probably need glasses." Ianto groaned and flopped back on the bed, while Jack simply grinned.

"Oh come on Yan, you would look great in glasses. And imagine all the different games we could play-" Ianto fixed the immortal with a glare, and glanced pointedly over at Martha.

"Oi, don't mind me. I have no qualms with hearing about your 'Dabbling'" She air quoted the last word, and Jack looked inquisitively at Ianto, who simply blushed. There was a slight cough from the corner of the room, and the three turned to it.

"While I, for one, am very keen to hear about your ideas, we have quite a lot to discuss. The others will be back any moment." Ianto looked down at himself, embarrassed to be in such a state. A quick look at the state the captain was in, and Ianto knew that he must look quite a bit worse. Jack shook his head, feeling Ianto's disgust and embarrassment.

"Martha, just how long have we been out? And what all has happened?" Martha looked over at Olivia, who fixed the immortal with a no nonsense look.

"Captain. A lot of shit has happened in the two days you've been out of action." Ianto looked at Jack, who grimaced back.

"How long until we can be discharged?" Jack stated, all business. Martha shook her head.

"As a doctor, I'd want you two here for a few more days for observation. But seeing as how you are going to order your release ASAP, and the fact that the hospital is crawling with UNIT, I'll get Owen up here to check you two out, and then you'll go home. And I do mean home, to your respective flats, to rest. For at least 24 hours." Another glance was shared between the two men, before Jack burst out laughing, and Ianto cracked a smile.

"We don't have respective flats." Martha looked at Ianto with wide eyes, and the Welshman just shrugged.

"Been living together. It's more practical that way." Martha shook her head, and saw the look Jack gave his lover.

"Practical indeed. I guess that sign outside wasn't too far off then." Olivia looked up, and saw the confusion on the two men's faces.

"You two are married. Your door says Mr. and Mr. Jones." The Welshman's eyes widened with horror, and even Jack looked quite alarmed.

"You have got to be joking," Ianto stated.

"Jones? I took on his name? I mean Mr. and Mr. Harkness, sure. Even a hyphenated thing, like Harkness-Jones, or Jones-Harkness. But Jack Jones? I don't think so." Ianto looked at Jack with a mixture of horror and awe.

"First off, we are not married. Second, UNIT has been causing trouble, we've been in a coma, something big has obviously happened for Gertrude and Olivia to be dragged in, I'm going to have to get gasses, and you are upset that they gave you my last name in a fictitious marriage." Ianto shook his head. "And for the record, it would not be Harkness. Ianto Harkness is a horrible name." Jack glared at Ianto playfully, leaving both Martha and Olivia in fits of laughter. The door burst open then, a very strained looking Owen, pushing a frightened Tosh into the room.

"You woke up." Owen stated flatly, and Ianto rolled his eyes.

"Yes, and thank you for having so much faith in me." Jack smiled and Tosh shook her head.

"Great, Tea-boy comes back, attitude intact." Jack smiled, and then looked pointedly at Tosh.

"Martha and Mrs. Mayweather here were just informing us of our apparent partnership. How was the ceremony, I don't seem to recall any of it." Tosh blushed and Owen snickered.

"It was the only way that I could get you two in a room together without having to pull any Torchwood strings. Plus it covers your tracks a bit. Jones is a very common name. You see Jones and you don't bat an eyelash. But Harkness, that'll attract attention." There was a silent nudge from Ianto to Jack, and the immortal just laughed.

"Fine, though next time I want to be awake for it, alright?" Tosh giggled, and both Ianto and Owen looked at the captain with shock. Ianto recovered himself enough to change the subject.

"Owen, if you would please come give as a once over so that we can get out of here, it would be greatly appreciated." Owen nodded.

"Alright then. Martha if you would please just make sure that Jack doesn't have any extra or missing parts, and I'll make sure Tea-boy is in one piece." Martha nodded, and looked at Tosh.

"Can you please call Gwen and have her bring the SUV to the front?" Tosh nodded, pulling out her phone. Jack and Ianto were checked over, and after a few remarks over the fading bruises on Ianto's body, as well as the awkward point were Ianto admitted that not all of them were from being captured and tortchered. Owen cleared them both for release.

"For being through as much hell as you have been. You've held together pretty well. A few days rest and some glasses, and you'll be good as knew." Ianto nodded. Gertrude arrived at the door with two sets of clothes in hand.

"Gwen gave these to me and told me to bring them too you. Said that you wouldn't want to go home in hospital robes." Ianto smiled, and Owen disconnected his I.V. as well as the monitor. Martha did the same for Jack, and both men stretched languidly. The Welshman swung his legs over the bed, and looked sheepishly at the crowd in the room.

"Are you guys just going to stand there and watch?" A mutual look passed around the room before Olivia spoke.

"Why not?" Gertrude nodded her agreement, and crossed arms and curious eyes greeted the Welshman. The only one who seemed to have any decency was Owen, who had the courtesy to turn his back. Ianto sighed, holding his hand out to Gertrude for his clothes.

"Come and get them. I'm old and infirm, I don't need to walk all the way over to you." Ianto hung his head in defeat. It was Jack who finally came to his rescue, as a distraction. The immortal hopped out of bed, the paper gown falling to the floor before him, he stretched again, before walking over to a very pink Gertrude, stark naked.

"Thank you ma'am, I'll just take these." Gertrude proffered the articles of clothing wordlessly, as all eyes in the room watched the captain. He grinned at Ianto, who simply rolled his eyes.

"What? I don't have anything to be ashamed of."

"No you certainly do not." Gertrude said across the room, and there was a smack as Olivia reprimanded her wife. Ianto held his gaze away from Jack, not trusting his reaction to the whole situation. The immortal handed him his clothes, before bending to put his own outfit on. Ianto could feel the lust pouring off everyone in the room, and he swore that the e=temperature had risen by at least ten degrees. The Welshman faced away from the crowd and dressed swiftly, hoping that all attention would still be on Jack. He was sorely disappointed to feel that all living eyes were on him, and Jack's more than anyone elses.

"You can all quit staring at the sick man now." He said, turning around and tugging on his shirt. He grimaced at the tightness of his muscles.

"You're not sick Tea-boy, not physically anyway. And quit squinting at everything, you're going to give yourself a headache." Ianto sighed, and he felt a sold weight wrap around him from behind. Despite his apprehension, he leaned into, thankful that Jack was well enough to take his weight.

"I say we all head home and call it a night. I'll handle UNIT in the morning." Jack stated, but Gertrude shook her head.

"Not possible Captain. Our home is a crime scene right now. I tell you this will really kill business." Jack 's grip tightened on Ianto slightly. The Welshman could feel his lovers anger at someone mistreating these women.

"What happened?" The immortal said through gritted teeth.

"UNIT. The broke in and threatened Olive. I put the three of them out of action. Disabled, not dead. However, we are now running from the law." Gertrude shrugged, and Jack simply nodded.

"We'll take them to the HUB." Tosh stated enthusiastically. Gwen and Martha shared a nervous glance, but Ianto and Jack smiled.

"Gertrude and Olivia Mayweather, How would you like to become members of Torchwood Cardiff?" The women laughed and then nodded.

"I've always wondered what you bunch did." Olivia nodded.

"it's settled then. Tosh, Owen, take them to the HUB give them the grand tour, make them feel welcome. Martha, thank you for filling in while we were out." The doctor smiled.

"You aren't getting rid of me that easily. Ianto still isn't completely well yet, and I only managed to get 10 of his post-it notes finished." The immortal looked at his lover, who was now a fair shade of pink.

"Post-it notes?" The Welshman cleared his throat.

"I'll explain later. Martha, really, you don't have to finish those, would you like to stay at our flat for the night?" Martha shook her head.

"No thanks. I'm not that tired, I'll probably stay at the HUB and keep Fall and Glib company." Gertrude and Olivia looked inquisitively at each other.

"Fall and Glib?" Ianto opened his mouth to answer, and then quickly shut it. The captain simply smirked.

"Well then let's get going. I for one am very tired, and would like some sleep." The crowd filed out of the room, Owen, Martha, Tosh, and the Mayweathers, all heading down to the parking garage. Ianto and Jack made their way to the front of the hospital, stopping to watch as Gwen chatted on her phone to someone.

"Yes they woke up. I know yo9u were just here. No I don't think that they will want any of your buttered pork bellies. Dear god Rhys they just got out of the hospital, you don't need to put them back in!" She caught sight of the two men, and smiled at them

"Yea, they're out. Yes, I'll call you when I head home. Get some rest hon." She pocketed the phone, and walked up to them.

"You too are looking better. Glad to see that you're back on your feet." Ianto felt a wave of relief as well as something else pouring from the Welshwoman, and reached a hand out to her. He saw, briefly through that touch, her pause and apology, as well as her work and Rhys's vigil.

"Thanks to all of you. Word is Rhys played relay. Tell him I said thanks, yea?" The Welshwoman blinked, and then nodded. She climbed into the driver's seat, and Jack helped Ianto into the back of the SUV, crawling in behind him.

"Where to?" Gwen stated cheerily.

"Just drop us off at our flat, and then head home. You need to sleep in your own bed tonight." The Welshwoman glanced back at Ianto, and even Jack looked slightly taken aback.

"are you sure that I don't need to watch the HUB?" Jack shook his head.

"No, it's covered, just go home to Rhys, and take the morning off. No sense in you comeing in all tired." Gwen nodded, choosing to stay silent as she drove them back to their flat. The two men got out, Ianto's movements still slowed, as Jack half carried him to the door.


	104. Chapter 104: Rookies

The Mayweathers followed behind Owen's car, wondering exactly what they had gotten into.

"I'm an old woman, whose been retired for over twenty years. How do they expect me to run around and shoot at things?" Gertrude shook her head and head and laughed slightly.

"I seem to be doing a pretty good job at it, and I'm old than you." Olivia glared at her wife. "Besides, I'm pretty sure it's just an honorary thing. I severely doubt that Torchwood is going to want two old birds running around their place of business. Speaking of, why are we stopping?" Owen's car had come to a stop in front of a small dock. The two woman looked at each other warily, and then looked forward again, to see a large opening form in the wall of the building. Owen's car drove forward into the gap, and then vanished. Olivia and blinked, and Gertrude shrugged, driving forward and stopping. Suddenly, their car began to move, not forward, but down. Olivia gripped Gertrude's arm tightly in surprise, and the elder woman simply laughed. A few seconds more of falling, and the women found themselves in an expansive parking garage. There was a light tapping on the car window, and Gertrude looked up. She unrolled her window, and Owen leaned in.

"You can park were you want, but the lift is over there-" He pointed to the corner of the room. "It doesn't matter to me though." Gertrude nodded, and the dead man stepped back, letting the woman pull forward. She parked a few spaces form Owen's car, getting out and helping Olivia from her side. Martha walked over and grinned at them broadly.

"I should probably warn you about what's inside here." Gertrude shrugged.

"Aliens?" Owen glanced over with a look of pure shuck, and even Tosh looked surprised.

"Err, how did you know?" Gertrude laughed and even Olivia cracked a smile.

"There were always rumors about you guys. Besides, I've seen enough Claw-Kin in my day to know that we aren't exactly alone." Owen folded his arms over his chest and shared a wary look with Tosh.

"Claw-Kin? What are those?" Olivia walked forward.

"I'm sure you've seen them. I thought Torchwood was running about catching them. They're about six feet tall. Sharp teeth, clawed hands, always wearing a boiler suit. Tosh snapped her fingers.

"Weevils!" Owens eyes widened.

"You know that Weevils are aliens? I thought all the locals thought they're some sort of lab experiment." Olivia shook her head and grinned.

"Those rumers have only been around for the past twenty years or so. When people started calling them Weevils and Sewer creatures. Claw-Kin is what we called them before. Back when Gertrude was little." Gertrude nodded.

"The Claw-Kin, Weevils, aren't a new thing dear." Owen shook his head.

"And here I was thinking that we had done a good job at covering our tracks." HE threw his hands up into the air and then sighed.

"Oh well. You're in on it, might as well get you inside." The women nodded, and followed the group onto the lift. As soon as the rose into the center of the HUB, Myfanwy swooped down, squawking curiously at the guests.

"Is that a Pteranodon?" Olivia said, on the verge of laughter.

"Yes, actually. She's Ianto's baby. His Myfanwy." Gertrude laughed.

"Little Lovely One. Not the name I would have chosen for a dinosaur." Olivia looked up at the creature with wonder.

"She's beautiful! No wonder Ianto loves his job. To have a pet like that." Tosh smiled.

"When Ianto comes in, I bet he'd let you feed her." Olivia's eyes widened with excitement, and Gertrude shook her head.

"What does a thing like that eat anyway?" Martha raised her hand.

"Apparently Chocolate." Olivia laughed again, hugging Jack's coat to her chest.

"It's wonderful." Suddenly there was a crash from the other side of the HUB, followed by a string of high-pitched gurgling, and another string of wet slopping sounds.

"Oops. Sounds like Glib and Fall are having a bit of trouble." Owen looked up at Martha with alarm.

"They are still in there? Why? Shouldn't you have put them in the cells or something?" Tosh smacked the dead man's thigh from her seat, and looked up at him sternly.

"They aren't animals Owen." Owen glared down at the technician, but didn't say anything.

"And they saved Ianto's sight. It was Fall who concocted that serum, not me. And he hurt himself in the process." Owen glanced back towards the autopsy bay once more, and then sighed.

"Fine, but they need to get out of there at least. IF something happens I need that place clean and ready, not overrun by two multi-tentacled aliens." Gertrude grinned at Olivia, who nodded, the two of them bolted past the Torchwood group and down the steps, following the sounds. They saw the two aliens gurgling loudly at each other, a stray of syringes scattered on the floor. One of the creatures was getting darker and darker as he gurgled. And the other was paling. Gertrude cleared her throat loudly, and the tow beings turned to her, going completely silent. Fall grabbed the translator, flicking it on and holding it up.

"Who are you ma'am?" Olivia burst out laughing and Gertrude cracked a smile.

"You are polite, you are! That's amazing! Absolutely bloody amazing." Olivia elbowed her wife to silence her.

"Now hush Gerty, you're being rude!" She smiled warmly at the creatures.

"I'm Olivia Mayweather, and this is my wife, Gertrude." Glib looked over at Fall, before speaking.

"The Humans here call me Glib, this is my pair bonded, Fall. We were not aware that there were any other Torchwood aperatives." Gertrude shook her head.

"We're new." Fall tilted his eyestalks to the side, inquisitively.

"You do not look new. Compared to the other human's you look quite old." Olivia laughed harder then, and Gertrude folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm going to assume that you were being sincere, and do not understand that that was rude. Yes I am physically older than most of the humans you've met, but I am new to Torchwood, in the sense that I have only been working with them for a very short amount of time." Fall inclined his eyestalks again. A nod.

"Understood. Tell me, do you know of the one they call Ianto Jones? How he is fairing?" Olivia stopped laughing long enough to look in amazement at the creatures.

"He is well. Pardon my asking, but why do you care?" Glib picked up the fallen tray and its contents, setting them on the autopsy table.

"He saved both our lives, we are eternally grateful. We owe him a life debt. More than one. We only hope that he lives for us to repay it. It brings us great joy to know that he does." Gertrude smiled and Olivia leaned into her. They both felt and entirely unwarranted sense of pride regarding the Welshman. Owen walked up, grimacing at the state of his autopsy bay.

"I take it that you tow are totally ok with extraterrestrial life forms. Doesn't surprise me at all." The ladies laughed.

"No problems here, though it is peculiar that Torchwood hires aliens." Glib finished righting the fallen items.

"We do not work here. We are guests of Torchwood." Owen swung around the women, stopping to examine one of the lighter patched on Fall's skin.

"Yes and my patients. You two have been ver taxing yourselves. You should be resting." Glib laughed again.

"We should, should we not? Come then, let's go to our cell." Olivia looked at the alien, perplexed.

"Cell? They keep you in a cell?" Fall folded his tentacles complacently.

"No, we stay there as it is comfortable. We are free to move as we wish. We are not prisoners, we are guests." Gertrude still looked unconvinced, but said nothing as the two aliens made their way out of the autopsy bay.

Martha and Tosh saw the two aliens wander around to the cells, but paid them no mind.

"So what do you think of our two newest members of Torchwood?" Martha glanced down at the woman, before smiling.

"I think you guys will have your hands full. It looks like your new recruits are still quite full of vim, vigor, and vitality." Tosh giggled lightly.

"Yea, it's good though. I'm glad that Jack chose not to RETCONN them." Martha smiled.

"I doubt that stuff would work on them. They're probably immune it" The technician laughed again, before wheeling up to her desk.

"I have some work to do, do you mind?" The doctor shook her head.

"Be my guest! I'm thinking of finding a place for your rookies to bunk for the night." Tosh nodded, turning to her computer screen. She had to re-write UNIT's reports, as well as a few of the hospitals.


	105. Chapter 105: Confirmation

Upon entering their flat, two things were abundantly clear. One was that Ianto was an excellent actor, and the other was that eyesight was not an issue that would hinder him in bed. As soon as the door shut the Welshman pounced, his former fatigue forgotten as his lips seared to the immortal's. Jack could barely move, so stunned by the attack was he. The Welshman's hands tore at Jack's shirt, nearly tearing it as he yanked it off. The immortal reacted, finally coming to his senses. His fingers tangled in Ianto's hair as he returned the brutal kiss, teeth and tongues clashing in their fervor. The stood there for a moment, hands wrapped in hair, lips fused and bodies pressed together. Jack was the first to break away, a soft grin forming under darkened eyes.

"Welcome back Ianto Jones." Ianto chuckled, stepping back to kick off his shoes, only to find a chair blocking his path. He tripped, sprawling over it and onto the floor. The captain laughed, reaching a hand down to help his lover up. Instead, he found himself being pulled to the floor on top of the Welshman. Ianto grinned, rolling them over and straddling his lover's hips.

"Glad to be back, sir." Jack ran his fingers over the fading bruises on his lovers face, to the split lip and cut cheek. There was a pause, were they simply gazed at each other, each one searching for proof that this was real. That they were actually both alive and ok.

"Ianto, about what happened, before we woke up. Was it just me or-" Ianto shook his head, his lips finding the captains, this one much more tender than those shared previously.

"You brought me back, Jack. I was gone, I was dead, really dead, and you brought me back." The captain smiled, before rolling them over once more. Ianto let out a surprised yelp at the unexpected move, but was quickly reduced to a moan as the immortal's lips found themselves latched to his neck. The Captain nipped at the tender flesh, kissing and sucking. The moans that were escaping his lover were nothing short of filthy, and the captain found himself responding in kind.

"Jack." The Welshman breathed, pushing himself up on his forearms." The immortal pressed down, trying to keep Ianto pinned to the floor. "Jack, bedroom." The captain pouted, rubbing one hand warmly over the Welshman's clothed chest.

"Do you really want to stop?" Ianto pouted, forcing himself off the floor, and nearly toppling his lover over in the process. Ianto stood, only to see Jack sprawled across the floor of the foyer, and Ianto's breath caught. It had been such a short time since his captain had last been in such a position, yet here they were. But oh how the circumstances had changed. The Welshman reached a hand down, ripping the captain's wrist and yanking him up, the two men colliding in a kiss at the top.

"Bedroom." The immortal panted between kisses. They stumbled through the flat, hands working overtime to shed each other of their clothing. They collapsed onto the couch, neither one capable of making to any further. Ianto sat on his lover's lap once more, their shafts rubbing together in the process. Jack moaned, his head falling back against the couch. The Welshman smirked, grinding his hips mercilessly against the captain's. He leaned in, his lips trailing butterfly kisses against the immortals neck before he bared down. His teeth sinking into the tanned flesh of Jack's shoulder. The captain chocked, no painfully close to the edge. Ianto reached between them, his fingers grazing teasingly against Jack's sensitive flesh.

"Fuck. Yan." The Welshman chuckled.

"Lube?" Jack shook his head,

"You wanna move?" Ianto smiled and took the captains hand off of his hip. He slowly took two fingers into his mouth, laving them with his tongue. Jack shuddered, but took the hint. Withdrawing his hand from his lover's mouth, he reached behind him, slowly inserting a finger into his lover. Ianto groaned, the familiar intrusion welcome and needed. His muscles welcomed a second and third finger with little resistance, as the immortal expertly worked them around his lover's entrance. Ianto pulled up after a moment, needing to be full. With little warning he sheathed himself fully on his lover, both men nearly shouting at the rush of sensation pouring through them. Their bond was back, and it was stronger than it had been before. Every minute sensation came into focus. Each man was hyper aware of the pleasure felt by his partner. Ianto moved slowly, knowing just how dangerously close Jack was to the edge, and how far behind him he was. Jack too, saw the dilemma, and reached between them, gripping Ianto firmly in one hand.

"Jack" Ianto breathed, the sudden friction steadily drawing him forward. The Welshman quickened his pace, now fully riding his lover as they hastened towards their climax. Ianto circled his hips suddenly, bearing down on the captain. The sudden change in angle sent him over the edge, stars bursting behind his eyelids as he poured himself into Jack's hand. The immortal shouted Ianto's name as he came. Ianto collapsed into Jack, completely spent. The immortal wrapped his arms around his lover, unable to do much more than hold him limply and panting for breath. Moments passed as they curled together, neither one wanting to move. Necessity beat out convenience, as their muscles started to cramp from their awkward arrangement. With the utmost reluctance, Ianto slid off of Jack's lap, unable to stand. Jack smiled over at his lover, standing and pulling the Welshman up to him. They supported each other to the bedroom, both men collapsing, exhausted, onto the bed. Neither one bothered with cleaning himself, too tired for such an activity. As they faded into unconsciousness, one thing was for sure. They were both back, ad they weren't leaving each other any time soon.


	106. Chapter 106:Small World

**Author's Note: OK, so it has been quite a while sense I've added to this story, I know. Unfortunately plot bunnies run rampant through the halls of my mind-palace, and I often times have no choice than to indulge them. That being said, I'm back, and nearly finished with this story. I hope to have it wrapped up for you before April 2013. (Yes that is my version of soon.) **

**I also reference the Doctor Who episode "Victory Of The Daleks" in this chapter, for those of you who are wondering eactly what I', taking about with blur boxes and Iron sides. **

**Reviews are lovely.**

**On to the show!**

The Mayweathers followed behind Owen's car, wondering exactly what they had gotten into.

"I'm an old woman, whose been retired for over twenty years. How do they expect me to run around and shoot at things?"

Gertrude shook her head and head and laughed slightly.

"I seem to be doing a pretty good job at it, and I'm older than you."

Olivia glared at her wife.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure it's just an honorary thing. I severely doubt that Torchwood is going to want two old birds running around their place of business. Speaking of, why are we stopping?"

Owen's car had come to a stop in front of a small dock.

The two woman looked at each other warily, and then looked forward again, to see a large opening form in the wall of the building.

Owen's car drove forward into the gap, and then vanished. Olivia and blinked, and Gertrude shrugged, driving forward and stopping.

Suddenly, their car began to move, not forward, but down.

Olivia gripped Gertrude's arm tightly in surprise, and the elder woman simply laughed.

A few seconds more of falling, and the women found themselves in an expansive parking garage.

There was a light tapping on the car window, and Gertrude looked up.

She unrolled her window, and Owen leaned in.

"You can park were you want, but the lift is over there-" He pointed to the corner of the room. "It doesn't matter to me though."

Gertrude nodded, and the dead man stepped back, letting the woman pull forward. She parked a few spaces form Owen's car, getting out and helping Olivia from her side.

Martha walked over and grinned at them broadly.

"I should probably warn you about what's inside here."

Gertrude shrugged.

"Aliens?"

Owen glanced over with a look of pure shuck, and even Tosh looked surprised.

"Err, how did you know?"

Gertrude laughed and even Olivia cracked a smile.

"There were always rumors about you guys. Besides, I've seen enough Claw-Kin in my day to know that we aren't exactly alone."

Owen folded his arms over his chest and shared a wary look with Tosh.

"Claw-Kin? What are those?"

Olivia walked forward.

"I'm sure you've seen them. I thought Torchwood was running about catching them. They're about six feet tall. Sharp teeth, clawed hands, always wearing a boiler suit."

Tosh snapped her fingers.

"Weevils!"

Owens eyes widened.

"You know that Weevils are aliens? I thought all the locals thought they're some sort of lab experiment." Olivia shook her head and grinned.

"Those rumors have only been around for the past twenty years or so. When people started calling them Weevils and Sewer creatures. Claw-Kin is what we called them before. Back when Gertrude was little."

Gertrude nodded.

"The Claw-Kin, Weevils, aren't a new thing dear."

Owen shook his head.

"And here I was thinking that we had done a good job at covering our tracks."

He threw his hands up into the air and then sighed.

"Oh well. You're in on it, might as well get you inside."

The women nodded, and followed the group onto the lift. As soon as the rose into the center of the HUB, Myfanwy swooped down, squawking curiously at the guests.

"Is that a Pteranodon?"

Olivia said, on the verge of laughter.

"Yes, actually. She's Ianto's baby. His Myfanwy." Gertrude laughed.

"Little Lovely One. Not the name I would have chosen for a dinosaur."

Olivia looked up at the creature with wonder.

"She's beautiful! No wonder Ianto loves his job. To have a pet like that." Tosh smiled.

"When Ianto comes in, I bet he'd let you feed her."

Olivia's eyes widened with excitement, and Gertrude shook her head.

"What does a thing like that eat anyway?"

Martha raised her hand.

"Apparently Chocolate."

Olivia laughed again, hugging Jack's coat to her chest.

"It's wonderful."

Suddenly there was a crash from the other side of the HUB, followed by a string of high-pitched gurgling, and another string of wet slopping sounds.

"Oops. Sounds like Glib and Fall are having a bit of trouble." Owen looked up at Martha with alarm.

"They are still in there? Why? Shouldn't you have put them in the cells or something?"

Tosh smacked the dead man's thigh from her seat, and looked up at him sternly.

"They aren't animals Owen."

Owen glared down at the technician, but didn't say anything.

"And they saved Ianto's sight. It was Fall who concocted that, not me. And he hurt himself in the process."

Owen glanced back towards the autopsy bay once more, and then sighed.

"Fine, but they need to get out of there at least. IF something happens I need that place clean and ready, not overrun by two multi-tentacled aliens."

Gertrude grinned at Olivia, who nodded, the two of them bolted past the Torchwood group and down the steps, following the sounds.

They saw the two aliens gurgling loudly at each other, a stray of syringes scattered on the floor.

One of the creatures was getting darker and darker as he gurgled.

And the other was paling. Gertrude cleared her throat loudly, and the two beings turned to her, going completely silent. Fall grabbed the translator, flicking it on and holding it up.

"Who are you ma'am?"

Olivia burst out laughing and Gertrude cracked a smile.

"You're are polite, you are! That's amazing! Absolutely bloody amazing."

Olivia elbowed her wife to silence her.

"Now hush Gerty, you're being rude!"

She smiled warmly at the creatures.

"I'm Olivia Mayweather, and this is my wife, Gertrude." Glib looked over at Fall, before speaking.

"The Humans here call me Glib, this is my pair bonded, Fall. We were not aware that there were any other Torchwood operatives."

Gertrude shook her head.

"We're new."

Fall tilted his eyestalks to the side, inquisitively.

"You do not look new. Compared to the other human's you look quite old."

Olivia laughed harder then, and Gertrude folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm going to assume that you were being sincere, and do not understand that that was rude. Yes I am physically older than most of the humans you've met, but I am new to Torchwood, in the sense that I have only been working with them for a very short amount of time."

Fall inclined his eyestalks again.

A nod.

"Understood. Tell me, do you know of the one they call Ianto Jones? How he is fairing?"

Olivia stopped laughing long enough to look in amazement at the creatures.

"He is well. Pardon my asking, but why do you care?"

Glib picked up the fallen tray and it's contents, setting them on the autopsy table.

"He saved both our lives, we are eternally grateful. We owe him a life debt. More than one. We only hope that he is alright for us to repay it. It brings us great joy to know that he is living."

The woman shared a mutual smile, growing further as they heard the Torchwood operatives coming closer.

"I see you two have met our guests."

Martha leaned against the railing smiling fondly at the odd group.

"Yes, yes we have. These are a bit more normal looking than the last set we ran into."

Owen frowned, walking around the other edge of the Autopsy bay to face them.

"What do you mean other ones. You've met other aliens?"

Martha leaned forward.

"Aside from Weevils."

Gertrude smiled softly, and nudged Olivia.

"How do you think that we came to know UNIT in the first place?"

Owen looked over at Tosh, who was apparently enraptured in their speech.

"We should probably go somewhere a bit more comfortable, My hip's iving me a fuss."

Tosh nodded.

"Head up to the Conference room. I'll take care of some admin stuff down here."

"No, Tosh. We'll just stay on the couch. Martha? Would you mind grabbing us some water's or something?"

The medic nodded, heading off, while the rest of the human's made their way to the sofa area.

"So, what do you mean by more normal? In my experience those two are not normal."

Gertrude settled onto the worn sofa, and Olive cured up next to her.

"Those aliens look like proper aliens should. All tentacles and different colors."

Tosh leaned back in her chair, wincing slightly.

"And what did you're alien look like."

"A regular bloke. His hair was normal, his clothes were a bit off for a man his age, bowties and braces. And his companion was barely wearing anything!"

Martha came in then, a tray full of crisps and water before her.

Her face seemed to light up at the word "Companion."

"When did you meet him?" She said eagerly earning her a few confused glances.

Olivia answered non the less.

"When we were serving in the war, we had, well I guess you could say a close encounter."

Gertrude grinned.

"I was sitting their doing my usual routine of translating incoming data, wile Gerty hovered over my shoulder like the obsessive stalker that she is."

The other woman grinned wider.

"When a blue box just appeared out of thin air."

The Torchwood members looked at each other in shock, while Martha simply smiled.

"Out steps this bloke, normal as can be, and his red haired side kick. Mind you this was when that whole iron-sides scandal was starting."

Toshiko snapped her fingers, sitting strait in her chair.

"I remember that! Daleks, gravity bubbles, bomb in the scientist. The whole thing was so outlandish that most people wrote it off as a hoax."

Owen looked at the others as though each of them had grown an extra head.

"There were Daleks in the Second World War, and nobody told me?"

The Mayweathers shrugged.

"If it makes you feel any better, they tried to make us forget too."

Owen snorted.

"How? Did they pay you off? Offer you a lucrative position somewhere exotic?"

Olivia paled slightly, and Gertrude stiffened in her chair.

"They tried to MAKE us forget. Brand new tool. Reset, they called it. I'd heard that it could turn a grown man into a drooling mess."

Both Owen and Tosh looked at each other in horror. They knew exactly what Reset could do. "New procedure they had for it too. Inject it into the temporal lobe, a very small amount. Just enough to erase the last few months or so. Created a hell of a lot of cases of permanent brain damage that way. May as well have been lobotomized."

Martha nearly choked on her water.

"That's horrible!"

The women smiled softly at her.

"There was another treatment. Something someone had come up with using the blood of some random secret operative. It was supposed to cure illness' and slow aging. They wanted to see what this 'miracle serum' could do to someone who had bee affected by Reset."

Martha let out a soft, "Oh No."

"Oh yes. We both underwent the treatment voluntarily of course. Told us it was an inoculation and had us unconscious for the procedure."

Olivia's voice faltered, and Gertrude patted her shoulder lightly.

"We woke up, both fit as a fiddel, with all of our memories in tact."

Owen let out a low whistle, and Tosh leaned forward.

"That's amazing!"

Gertrude grinned.

"I know. It's shear luck if you want the truth of it."

The dead man leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head.

"What happened then."

Olivia shrugged.

"We were forced into UNIT. It was either that or, well, removal."

The tightness in her jaw showed exactly what she meant by that.

Martha shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Forced?"

Olivia nodded.

"Yes. Forced in. It wasn't as bad as all that. Though it was the early years, mind."

"We had an awful lot of fun in UNIT." The Mayweathers smiled softly at each other, each reminiscing their own UNIT memories.

"Anyway, we've seen a lot of aliens in our time. Lot of alien tech too. But they were usually so dishearteningly normal in appearance. Robots or Humanoids. It's nice to see an honest to goodness tentacles alien. Like what's in the films."

Martha smirked. She knew that feeling well.

"Unfortunately, their were plenty of bad in with those goods, so we found a way out."

Martha frowned.

"How did you though. Seeing as how you would have been high-level security risks at any time. How did you manage to get out alive."

Gertrude grinned softly.

"Olivia worked in the Archives. She managed to delete the studies done on us and write our recruitment down to 'special skills.'"

Toshiko laughed suddenly, her entire body shaking with the sound.

The others turned to her in bewilderment, not understanding her reaction.

It took several moments for her to finally calm down enough to speak.

"That makes so much sense!"

Owen frowned.

"What does?"

The technician wiped a tear from her eye.

"This entire time, I've been wondering how you two can do so much at your age, and look so good. It didn't make any sense. Even working with UNIT isn't exactly an elixir of youth."

They all continued to gawk at her.

"Experimentation from the HARKNESS program."

Owen rolled his eyes.

"Really. You expect me to believe that Jack had a whole project named after him. Specifically one that I don't know about?"

Toshiko shrugged.

"Ianto and I found it when we were doing that paper to digital conversion last year. It was just named HARKNESS. Only now do I see exactly why."

The dead man groaned.

"This whole bloody thing is so convoluted! Why can't things be simple and easy to understand! Why does everything have to link back to something else until there's this web of things, that Jack and his Doctor ALWAYS seem to be in the center of."

Tosh and Martha gave each other a knowing smirk and said, in unison.

"Because this is Torchwood."

Martha laughed, and then held up her hand.

"Alright, Alright, I think I've got this."

She took a deep breath.

"Project HARKNESS is a derivative made from Jack's blood. It somehow reverses the damage done to Gertrude and Olivia by UNIT. It also, apparently, slows their aging process slightly and keeps them in good health-"

Olivia coughed.

"Near perfect. My hips are bad and Gerty's eyes are going."

The medic nodded.

"Alright then, near perfect health. UNIT recruits them, they retire, buy an inn and live happily ever after?"

Olivia smirks.

"Well there was quite a bit between retiring and the inn, but that's a story for another time."

Gertrude blushes slightly, something that catches the notice of all the others in the room.

"Basically, that's the important bits of our life story. Now, would the rest of you care to share, or was this another case of old birds spinning yarns for young ones."

Tosh laughed, and Martha yawned loudly.

"Maybe we should all get some rest. You kids seem tired. I know I am."

Toshiko smiled and nodded, stretching her arms before glancing apologetically at Martha.

"We have three fold out cots and three sleeping bags down by the cells. We could set them up right here, and I'll take the couch."

Olivia frowned at Owen.

"What about you Doc? Where will you crash?"

Owen smirked and stood from his chair, needlessly stretching his back.

"Dead men don't sleep. Besides, I have a bit of work to do."

The Mayweathers looked at him curiously, but shrugged.

"To each his own then."

They both stood and yawned.

Gertrude and Martha brought up the cots and sleeping bags, moving the coffee table to set them up. With a finally goodnight, the HUB lights were dimmed, and the group settled in for some well needed rest.


	107. Chapter 107: Home

Ianto leaned heavily against Jack, as they walked into their flat both of them exhausted.

"Well this has been an interesting few days."

The immortal snorted a laugh, peeling off his shoes.

"You can say that again."

The Welshman smirked playfully.

"Well this has been-"

Jack smacked his arm lightly and kissed his cheek.

"Hungry?"

Ianto shook his head, curling up on the couch.

"No, but grab me a drink, yea? I'm parched."

The captain chuckled, snatching two beers from the fridge before flopping down beside the Welshman.

He flicked on the TV, passing Ianto a drink.

"Is this really wise? I mean is there some rule against alcohol after one wakes up from a coma?"

The captain shrugged.

"I don't know. How are you feeling anyway?"

Ianto rolled his eyes, giving an exasperated glare to the captain.

"Jack. You can, quite literally, feel everything that I can."

He shrugged, scooting closer to the archivist and wrapping his arm around his shoulder.

"So? I still like to hear it. I mean if we se this whole 'bond' thing all the time, then we'd never talk."

The Welshman nodded.

"Touché."

He shifted in his seat, throwing his legs over the captain's lap and snuggling into the couch.

"I'm tired. I can't really see, my shoulders are killing me. Oh, did I mention that I can't bloody see?"

The immortal took a long swig of his drink resting his a hand on Ianto's calf.

"We'll go first thing tomorrow morning and pick you up a pair of glasses Yan."

Ianto sighed, rubbing his face and closing his eyes.

"Contacts. I won't be able to work in glasses."

It was Jack's turn to roll his eyes.

"But you'd look so sexy."

The archivist fixed the immortal with his patented really-jack stair, eyebrow cocked, lips drawn thin.

Jack simply mumbled.

"You would."

Ianto too a sip of his own drink, relishing the cool sensation against his dry throat.

"A compromise then. I'll get contacts for work, and glasses for when I' at home. Deal?"

The immortal's eyes brightened.

"Deal. And don't go getting all smug over there. I plan on keeping you home more often."

"Jack. We talked about this. I'm not going to be-"

The captain held up a hand.

"I'm not going to take you away from your work. I'm simply saying, you and I need to spend less time at the HUB, and more time at home. Together. I won't let this-"

He waved his hand between them.

"Go back to a quick shag every now and then."

Ianto smiled at that, a warm genuine smile that had jack's stomach flipping with excitement.

"Easy boy."

The Welshman said, patting Jack's arm.

"I'm a bit too out of it for that tonight."

The immortal smirked.

"Fine. Alright. No sex tonight."

Ianto rolled his eyes once more at the pout his captain was giving him.

"Buck up. There's always tomorrow."

Jack grinned, making a move to stand.

"Well then, let's not waste any time. Off to bed, so tomorrow will get here faster."

The Welshman shook his head, pressing his legs firmly down on Jack's lap, pinning him to the couch.

"We have a few things we need to discuss, sir."

The immortal sighed.

Sir.

Business related then.

"I heard that. And yes, it is business related."

Jack settled back, his arms splayed over the back of the couch, head thrown back.

"Fine. Hit me."

Ianto coughed slightly, clearing his throat.

"Right now, we have four extra beings with free roam of the HUB, a completely out of commission technical expert, a dead man. A fugitive UNIT operative, and us. What the hell are we going to do?"

Jack sighed, looking straight into Ianto's eyes.

"I haven't the faintest clue. You tell me Yan."

The Welshman cleared his throat again, sitting up slightly.

Alright then, here it goes.

"The Mayweathers. Obviously former UNIT, and either alien or experimented on if you ask me."

Jack's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Why would you say that?"

"just look at them. Twenty years age delay, enhanced motor skills and stamina, seemingly perfect health save for hip issues and mild arthritis."

Jack nodded.

"Continue."

"Look, I came across this file a few months back, when I was converting the Archives to digital storage."

The immortal sat straighter, is attention fully on Ianto's words.

"And?"

Ianto took a deep breath, his nervousness of broaching the topic evident on the immortal's face.

"And I found a project HARKNESS."

It was as if someone had sucked all of the air from the room.

"Found that did you?"

The waves of shame coming from the captain made Ianto's stomach knot.

"Yea, I didn't read much of it, just what the project's goal was."

He laced his fingers reassuringly with the captains.

"Jack, don't feel ashamed by it. If anything, be pissed. They used you, and it was not ok. But it was also not your fault."

The immortal nodded swallowing thickly and looking down.

It was clear he still felt bad but the forgiveness and reassurance of the Welshman was healing that long forgotten wound.

"Alright then. How does project-that- have to play in."

"I have a theory-as far fetched as it is- that Olivia and Gertrude had some sort of an accident or were exposed to some sort of a damaging factor that could not be healed by conventional means.

They worked for the military, and did some pretty hush-hush stuff to have heard of Torchwood so early. If the injury or such was incurred in the workplace, maybe UNIT saw fit to use them for some sort of test subject for the ultra-healing ultra-power super serum that came out of project HARKNESS."

Jack chuckled.

"Are they Bruce Banners or Steve Rogers."

Ianto sighed.

"They are the Mayweathers. And, like I said, it's just at theory."

"Yea, but a good one. It explains a hell of a lot of their quirks. The question is, what do we do with them?"

The Welshman smiled.

"I say, we give them a map, tell them to pick wherever they want, and 'assign' them there. We give them a stipend, change their identities, let them send back anything that they find, and enjoy the rest of their lives on our tab."

Jack nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. A pricy one, but fitting. Considering they did host our first date."

Ianto laughed.

"And we did kind of completely destroy their lives."

The captain chuckled.

"Yea. Moving on. Glib and Fall?"

"Send them exactly where we were in the first place, but ourselves, not through UNIT."

"Agreed. You and me, personally delivering them to their new home."

Ianto blushed furiously.

"Jack, we can't just up and take a trip to the Mediterranean. We have work."

The immortal shrugged.

"It'd be for work. And a few days of vacation just the two of us, lounging on the beach, soaking in the sun. You can't tell me that that doesn't sound appealing."

He knew Jack had caught him.

Nothing sounded better.

"We will see. For now let's just agree that they need to end up there."

"Alright."

"Tosh."

The immortal scratched his head.

"Nanogenes. I still have some. A quick path job. Nothing more."

Ianto nodded curtly.

"Dead man?"

"Dead."

"Martha."

At that the captain smiled deviously.

"How does, 'Torchwood Liaison officer to UNIT' sound."

Ianto set both of their now-empty bottles onto the coffee table.

"Perfect, actually. She would also do well as an ambassador of sorts with other programs. Like the ones in the US or France."

Jack's smile grew wider.

"Exactly She's almost as good with people as you are, but I can live without her for weeks at a time."

That earned another eye roll, and a smack to the arm.

"That's everything then."

Jack shifted himself to pull the Welshman up onto his lap, cradling him to his chest, their foreheads resting together.

"Not quite everything."

The heady feeling of barely controlled lust and exhaustion was enough to intoxicate and incapacitate both men.

"Bed?"

Jack whispered, his lips ghosting over his lovers.

"Bed."

Came the response.

"Jack lifted a giggling Ianto up, bridal style, and carried him to their bedroom, nearly tossing him onto the bed.

He slipped out of his clothes, only to see Ianto cross his arms from his place on the bed and frown at him.

"No. Not tonight."

Jack snagged two sets of boxers from his drawer, slipping one on and tossing the other to Ianto, who quickly changed into them.

The both crawled into the bed, snuggling up against each other, relishing the contact of warm alive bodies finally resting where they belong. At home.


	108. Chapter 108: Frames

Ianto awoke the next morning in a panic. The room was covered in an unfamiliar foggy haze that made it appear as if everything was enveloped in somke.

It was only when he felt arm arms wrapping around his middle, and the soothing presence of jack that he blinked in the realization of his current predicament.

UNIT.

Experiments.

Eyesight.

Right.

"Good morning Yan. Still seeing?"

Jack buried his face into Ianto's chest, the smattering of hair there brushing pleasantly against his face.

"Barely. Are you sure the flat isn't on fire?"

The nervous humor in his voice brought a soft chuckle from the captain.

"I'm sure. Though I mean it could get very hot in here."

Ianto rolled his eyes and pulled away from the immortal, swinging his legs over the edge off the bed and rubbing his face with his hands.

"Later Jack. I'm fighting enough to see everything around me. I don't need to be fighting with your libido as well."

The immortal shrugged, scooting beside his Welshman and stretching out the kinks in his back.

"Suit yourself. Actually, don't. I'm liking you in civilian clothes."

Ianto chuckled, standing slowly and stretching with the tell-tale popping and cracking of a man who's been through hell.

"At least let me massage you in the shower. You look tense."

The Welshman looked back over his shoulder, fixing the blurry form of his lover with what -he hoped- was an exasperated glare.

"I'm sure you know this feeling, Jack. It's highly unlikely that you haven't been blinded before."

The immortal shrugged, standing and wrapping his arms around Ianto's middle once more, his chin resting gently on his shoulder.

"I haven't actually. I have no idea what it feels like."

Ianto sighed, taking a moment to revel in the warmth and security of his captain.

"Fine. One shower, and we can't take too long, I actually want to get some work done."

Jack grinned, kissing Ianto's shoulder before pulling him into the bathroom.

They went through their usual pre-shower rituals before climbing into the glass cubicle together.

As tight as the fit was, the two had become experts at maneuvering in it, which led to Ianto leaned against Jack, while the immortal gently massaged his neck and shoulders.

There wasn't anything sensual about the touches, just a simple warmth and comfort following each touch.

Ianto relaxed into the sensations, as warm , calloused hands gently scrubbed first his body,then his hair.

Warm water sloughed away the grime and sickly film that an extended stay in a hospital often left behind.

There was a few comical moments as Jack tried to maneuver his own hair under the shower head, which lead to Ianto nearly crawling around him in the small space.

"You really need a bigger shower."

Ianto had laughed softly.

"I don't know, I can actually see you right now."

The captain huffed.

"Only because you're pressed right against me.

Ianto arched an eyebrow, his hands resting innocently on the immortal's hips.

"You've never complained before."

Jack finished rinsing his hair, turning of the tap and swinging the glass door wide open.

"Normally, I'm not trying to keep my sex drive in check."

The Welshman nodded, grabbing a towel and tossing another one to the immortal.

"Touche."

They toweled off, Ianto squinting as he maneuvered his way around the bathroom.

With surprisingly minimal fumbling, the Welshman managed to fix his hair and shave, before tripping his way out of the bathroom.

Jack was close behind, concern and amusement warring within him.

"Are you going to be able to dress yourself in that state?"

The Welshman smirked, shutting himself into his closet with an audible click.

Jack simply shook his head at the closed door, before donning his usual uniform of blue shirt, jeans and braces.

Ianto, on the other had, was thoroughly thankful for his systematic organization of his clothing.

Eyes closed, he managed to don his usual three piece affair, complete with matching tie and properly buttoned purle shirt, before opening the door.

The immortal stared in shock -and more than a little awe- as an immaculately dressed Ianto Jones stepped out.

"How? How on earth did you manage that?"

Ianto could feel the captain's disbelief and amazement tickling him.

He chuckled.

"Many nights having to get dressed in a pitch black corner of the HUB, sir."

Jack frowned at that, leaning up and stroking his cheek with his thumb, gently.

"Sorry about that."

Ianto shrugged placing his hand over Jack's hand and smiled.

"I wouldn't have had it any other way."

They stayed there for a moment,just gazing at one another, until the home phone rang from the side table.

Before Ianto could run to grab it, Jack was on his way over.

"Harkness-Jones residence,this is Jack speaking."

The Welshman blushed from head to toe, turning away and marching from the room in exasperation.

Toshiko spoke softly into her end of the phone, hoping not to disturb the pile of sleeping people currently residing in the HUB.

"That's a nice greeting. Good to see that you two figured out a last name then."

Jack chuckled softly, his gaze following Ianto as he left the room.

"what did you need?"

Tosh huffed, back to business then.

"Are you two coming in at all today?"

Jack shifted his weight, not wanting to confirm it, but knowing that he had to at any rate.

"Yes Tosh, we will be in this afternoon."

The technician smiled.

"Good. Because it's getting crowded down here."

"Yea, Ianto and I discussed that whole situation last night. We'll share it with you when we get there."

Tosh nodded.

"Anything else, boss? Any orders?"

The immortal grinned.

"Yea, take care of those dear old ladies will ya? I want to know their back stories."

Toshiko giggled quietly.

"Oh I bet you do. These two are quite the characters."

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"So you've gotten an earful then."

"Oh yea, can't wait for them to regale you with it."

"Any hints?"

Toshiko bit her lip and then whispered into the phone.

"You seem to have shared a doctor."

With that she hung up.

Jack blinked at his phone for a minuet before tossing the phone onto the bed and dashing out to Ianto,who was already tugging on his shoes.

"I take it your call with Tosh was interesting."

Jack rolled his eyes, flopping into a chair with his boots in one hand.

"How did you even know that it was Tosh?"

The Welshman simply shrugged.

"I know everything, remember?"

Ianto laughed and pulled on his boots, lacing them quickly before standing.

He offered his hand to help Ianto up, which was an offer the Welshman steadfastly refused.

"Lets just go and get me some contacts or something, okay? I hate not being able to see."

Jack but his hands up in mock surrender.

"Alright, alright, but I'm driving."

Ianto snorted pulling on his coat.

"Obviously."

Jack reached for his own coat, only to be met with an empty hook. He pouted at the Welshman who tossed him his own leather jacket.

"The Mayweathers are patching yours up, remember? You're going to have to tough it out with that old thing."

Jack sighed, zipping the jacket up and opening the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

The Welshman held up the keys to his car, watching the immortal's blurry face contort into a look of disgust.

"I have to drive your car?"

Ianto nodded sympathetically, stepping onto the porch with a sigh.

"I'm afraid so. Just until we get back to the HUB, then you can get your precious SUV back."

The immortal snatched the keys and slammed the door, quickly locking it before nearly dragging his lover to the car.

The car ride to the optometrist had Ianto squeezing his eyes shut out of complete and utter terror.

"Can you slow down or something? Your driving is horrible enough without all the added blurring."

Jack simply shrugged, tires squealing as he peeled into the parking lot and slammed the car to a stop.

"We're here,at any rate."

Ianto pried his fingers from the arm rests of the car, straitening his suit and coughing before shakily stepping out of the car.

They entered the building, only to be greeted with an overly eager looking man.

He was elderly and wiry, his head two sizes too big for his shoulders,and his eyes two sizes too big for his head.

Ianto got the distinct impression that the man may have been an owl in another life, but smiled at him all the same.

He took Jack's hand in his and smiled kindly at him.

"Captain Harkness! What a pleasure! I haven't seen you since your cousin, Alice, came in all those years ago. Was a bit surprised when you called."

Jack shrugged.

"My partner here had an accident and his eyes have been damaged. I was hoping that you could hook him up with some glasses."

Ianto cleared his throat.

"Contacts please. And my name is Jones. Ianto Jones."

The man took Ianto's proffered hand in both of his shaking it vigorously and glancing between the two of them.

"Yes, yes of course! Of course. Sit down, Mr. Harkness. I'll take good care of your partner here."

A clipboard was tossed into the captain's lap.

"Fill out his information while I fix his eyes."

With that the Welshman was whisked away to the back and stood in front of a chart.

"Cover your left eye and read as far as you can."

Ianto did as he was told, and squinted.

"A. E. C. D- I can't see any further."

The man scribbled onto a sheet of paper in front of him and hummed.

"And you got the last one wrong. No need to do your other eye then. Step in here."

One machine scanned Ianto's eyes while another tested his depth perception.

He was then pulled into a darkened room where a huge set of goggles was placed before him.

"A, or B."

"B, or D"

"How does this look compared to this"

The whole situation had Ianto jittery and flustered.

He could feel Jack's amusement at his predicament.

_Infuriating bastard. _

_You still love me._

he had to admit, he did.

"Alright . You're finished."

Ianto let out a sigh of relief.

"I must say, your eyesight is completely shot. You're lucky that we've come so far with contact technology. Unfortunately, we don't carry such an extreme prescription here."

Ianto groaned.

"I'll order them and have them delivered for you within the week. For now, however, you'll have to settle for glasses."

Ianto nodded, following the man back into daylight.

His dilated pupils refused the excess light, and he squinted against it.

"No, here comes the fun part. You get two pairs of glasses, and your captain can help you pick."

Jack nearly leapt from his chair.

"While you were in there, Yan, I took the liberty of picking a few pairs out."

A row of 10 pairs of glasses lined a table.

Ianto put the first pair on, before squinting into the mirror.

"These are completely round! Do I look like Harry Potter?"

Jack shrugged.

The next two pairs were round with flat edges, and complete ovals each one getting a giggle from the captain and a scowl from the Welshman.

A large, square pair quickly earned the title "Velma Glasses" and three more pairs along that line joined them in the pile.

"There is no pleasing you, is there Yan?"

The Welshman shrugged.

"I'm going to be the one wearing them. I might as well like them."

The Welshman squinted down at the three remaining pairs, and smiled.

A pair of sleek black rectangular glasses with thick carbon frames fit perfectly on the Welshman's face.

The pair even earned an approving catcall from the receptionist up front.

"Those are the ones, Yan."

Ianto squinted at himself in the mirror, smirking at his reflection.

"Yea, these are the ones."

The Optometrist took the frames and nodded.

"Good of the line frames. Guaranteed to resist any and all damages. Would you be liking two pairs then?"

The Welshman laughed at the irony of the statement.  
"Yea, two will work. When will they be done?"

The man shrugged.

"Normally, three hours. Give me two."

Jack smirked and wrapped an arm around Ianto.

"Thank's Sid. I owe you one."

The man adjusted his glasses.

"Don't worry about it. All Harkness' are welcome here."

The man winked at a slightly blushing Ianto.

"You here that Yan. Two hours. Let's go grab breakfast while we wait."

The younger man shrugged, waving goodbye to the smirking receptionist on his way out of the door.


	109. Chapter 109: Morning After

Tosh sat at her station, silently downloading all of Jacks information onto a new hone, while checking through the files on Ianto's.

She refused, of course, to poke through their messages., and if anything seemed remotely personal, she avoided it.

Still,the things that she could glean simply from the sheer volume of what she could not look at was staggering.

The Captain and his Welshman were certainly fond of picture messages, that's for sure.

Her attention was suddenly split by a groan from beside her.

surprisingly bedraggled looking Owen rolled over to her, his face in his hands.

"Any new from our fearless leader and his wonder boy?"

Tosh smirked, spinning away from her computer and facing the dead man.

" Yes actually. They are going to go get Ianto glasses, and then had back here once that's done. It sounded like they had muddled through what to do with all of our, err, extra personnel as well."

Own scrubbed his face with his hands, glancing up at her.

"Brilliant. In the mean time we need to figure out how to take care of the personal needs of two elderly women, two not-so-elderly women, and two alien octpi for the next flour hours."

The technician shrugged.

"You can go get coffee and doughnuts, while I get everyone up and ready."

The doctor groaned.

"Or you can go feed Myfanwy while I get everyone up ad ready."

The prospect of going to feed the Ptrernanodon her daily meal was deplorable.

"You know I can't do that! Remember the last time? She thought I was road kill."

Toshiko stifled a smile.

"To be fare, she doesn't have the ability to tell that you are animate To her you're salvageable meat."

The dead man groaned, pulling himself from his chair with a huff.

"Fine. I'll go sag breakfast. You get the rest of the Golden Years up and at 'em."

She nodded, hiding her transfer screens while standing fro her chair.

With a sigh she walked the short distance to the palate of cots and gently shook Martha awake.

"Martha. Martha Jones. It's time to get up."

The woman yawned, and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

She pulled herself off of the cot, her clothes rumpled and her already spike ponytail a star-burst behind her

"What's up?"

Her voice crackled with sleep.

"It's morning. Jack and Ianto will be here in a few hours to decide everyone's fate. Figured that you'd want to get ready for the day."

The woman nodded yawning once more and stretching her shoulders languidly.

"Fine. Thanks. Can I take a shower?"

Toshiko nodded.

"Yea, locker room is down those stairs forth door to the right. There is a steamer in there if you want t freshen your clothes, or just snag Gwen's from locker 14."

The medic nodded shuffling off to ready herself for the day.

The two other women on the cot had been awakened by the conversation, and were now sitting up, taking in their surroundings.

After what felt like several awkward moments of stunned silence, Olivia was the first to speak.

"It hadn't been a dream then. We are actually in Torchwood."

Tosh smiled.

"Yes, yes you are. And I was just wondering if you two would car to get ready for the day."

Gertrude nodded.

"What time is it anyway?"

Toshiko glanced at her watch.

"10:15."

Olivia nodded, moving to crawl off of the cots, but Gertrude groaned, flopping back with a huff.

"It's too early to be up. Come and get me when the sun is up on Mars."

Toshiko heard Owen laugh from a distant part of the HUB, followed by the grating sound of the hidden lift slotting back into place.

"That's fine then. But the HUB needs to get working for the day, so things might be a bit- Gertrude?"

Soft snoring and stifled laughter was her answer.

"She's already out again dear. Don't feel too bad. The only time I've ever seen her actually get up before noon -if she had a choice- was the first week we spent together as a couple."

There was another laugh, this one soft and filled with nostalgia.

"Even then once we were finished she'd rollover and sleep until the next round."

Tosh smiled at her and then walked with her to the locker room.

"Here is a towel,and the showers are right in there. Martha is in there right now so you may want to wait a moment."

Toshiko heard the heavy splashing of water against the tiles stop,and called out.

"Olivia and I are in here , just fyi."

There was a rustling ad the slapping of wet feet against tile as Martha emerged, wrapped in a towel.

"Thank's for the warning."

Tosh smiled, and then walked over to her locker.

"I know that they aren't exactly to your tastes."

She pulled an old T-shirt and a pair of worn jeans from her locker and handed them to the women.

"And they maybe a bit big, but you can wear them if you wish, until we can get out to your place and gather together your things."

The woman nodded, taking the bundle of clothes and the towel before walking into the shower room.

Tosh turned to leave, but was instead greeted with a rumpled looking Gertrude standing before her wrapped up in a sleeping bag.

"Where is Olive."

Martha stifled a laugh, tugging off her shower cap and , her back to the door.

"Good morning star shine."

The Mayweather shot a wither glance to the woman's back.

"She's in the shower as we speak. You can go join her is you-"

Before the sentence was finished, the woman had bolted up the steps and around the corner, a sleeping bag and a shirt left in her wake.

"Well then. Good to see that age hasn't slowed her down."

Tosh picked up the shirt and hung in n the steamer bar.

"No it has not."

Martha finished dressing quickly, opting to continue in her newly steamed clothes than wear Gwen's."

No sooner than she finished putting on her shoes did Owen burst in, his shirt a crumpled ball in his hand, his bullet wound on proud display.

Martha gasped, rushing to quickly divert her gaze less she gag.

It was awful, seeing the flesh months after she had autopsied it, the wound still gaping n his flesh.

Toshiko, on the other hand, kept her gaze firm, nodding at him slightly before snagging one of his t-shirts from his locker for him.

"Thanks Tosh."

He quickly slipped the shirt over his head, concealing the wounds once more.

Martha's gaze quickly found the floor, and her face burned with embarrassment.

"Sorry, Owen, I wasn't expecting-"

He shrugged.

"It's okay. A bit like when Jack wakes up from one of his episodes. You've seen him dead,but it doesn't occur to you how did he was once he's alive again. Except I kept the damage, while he doesn't."

The woman nodded, drawing in a steadying breath.

"Yea. Yea."

Tosh pointed at the crumpled ball of cloth on the floor.

"Some dick ran into me on the sidewalk and spilled the carrier of coffee all over me."

"Ah."

There was a pause, before the medic coughed.

"Yes, well, I'll go make tea then."

Martha fled from the room, Owen and Tosh following slowly behind her.

Not many words were spoken after that indecent.

Martha and Tosh set the conference room up with the morning news and breakfast.

Owen managed to feed the Weevils and thoroughly embarrass himself by walking in on Glib and Fall.

They Mayweathers stumbled into the conference room half an hour later, pink cheeked and slightly breathless, which brought a smirk from the Torchwood crew.

UNIT continued to bombard the HUB with emails and phone calls,all of which went ignored for the time being.

Breakfast was eaten to the sound of the news, and the group simply settled into waiting for their fearless captain and his Welshman to appear.


	110. Chapter 110:The End

**Author's Note: Here we are then, the last actual chapter of Is That A Promise. This is my first fanfiction, my child, and I have never been more happy to see something end in my life. Thank you too all of you who have taken the time to read this monstrosity, I would not have gotten this far without your support and criticism. That being said, there will be an epilogue posted and (mwuhuhahaha) a continuation fic. I should also point out that I am also writing a series of stories for the Mayweathers, so - upon request- I will post those for you. **

After a light breakfast, and two cups of very disappointing coffee, Ianto and Jack returned to the optometrist to retrieve the Welshman's glasses.

The office had filled with half a dozen children and their fidgeting parents, all of them silencing as the two men entered the room.

The receptionist smiled at them kindly, and waved them to the desk.

"Here are you glasses Mr. Jones. If you would put them on, Doctor Fox will be out to size them shortly."

The Welshman nodded, unlatching the plastic case and slipping the glasses on.

He squinted through the thick glass, blinking rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the sudden clarity of the room.

"What do you think Yan? Better?"

The Welshman nodded, and the room shifted around him.

He braced himself against the captain for support, sliding the glasses further up on his face.

"My depth perception is a bit off. Everything seems so much closer."

The captain chuckled, and so did a few of the parents in the room.

One such mother leaned forward and smiled at him.

"First time with glasses?"

The Welshman nodded ,resulting in the glasses sliding down his nose.

"You'll get used to 'em."

"Ianto Jones?"

The optometrist puttered out of the room, squinting through his glasses at the Welshman.

"You did a remarkable job choosing your frames. They suit you."

Jack nudged Ianto's side.

_I __completely __agree._

Ianto rolled his eyes, plastering on his office mask as he followed Doctor Fox to a counter containing an array of pliers and knives.

He shuddered inwardly.

He had spent far to much time underneath the ministration of such tools of late.

Jack felt the sudden surge of fear from the Welshman. and wrapped a warm arm around him.

Ianto could both feel the hostility and surprise coming from the people around the room,and shrugged it off.

No sense getting upset over something he couldn't control.

Both pairs of glasses were sized and adjusted before the two men left the building.

Ianto made his way to the drivers side, much to the chagrin of the captain.

"Come on Yan, let me drive. You haven't even adjusted to walking in those things."

The Welshman glared at him.

"How am I supposed to adjust to driving with glasses, if you never let me drive with glasses?"

Jack huffed, moving from his place before the door and tossing the keys to Ianto.

The Welshman grabbed them with a triumphant, "Yes."

The drive back to the HUB was filled with annoyed grumbling from the captain,and the completely ecstatic grinning of the Welshman.

"Fifteen minutes. It took a whole fifteen minuets! I could have had us here in five."

Ianto rolled his eyes,unbuckling his seat-belt before leaning a quick kiss onto the captain's cheek.

"Yes, you could have, but when you factor in the time delay the accidents you would have caused would have on our travel time-"

Jack scrunched his nose in annoyance,before huffing and stepping out of the car.

"Fine. I get it. You win."

Ianto smirked at his captain, before stepping onto the lift.

The were greeted with the sound of mugs clinking and a TV droning in the distance.

"Honey I'm home!"

Jack bellowed, earning another eye roll from the archivist.

"We're up here!"

Tosh leaned out of the doorway to the conference room, waving at them.

The captain smiled.

"Race you up?"

Before he could get a response, the Welshman was bolting up the steps.

"Come on Yan! That's not fair!"

He scrambled after the archivist, skidding to a stop just inside the door.

Everyone was staring at e and his Welshman.

"What? What's the big deal?"

Owen burst into a fit o laughter, which had the rest of the room falling after him.

Ianto stood still, ears red with embarrassment.

"The glasses were his idea you know."

He pointed to the captain.

Tosh shook her head.

"It's not your glasses Ianto. Look at Jack."

The Welshman did, and fell into his own fit of laughter.

"What?"

"Do you want unfastened fly, crooked buttons, uneven braces, or the fact that my leather jacket is simultaniously too big and too short on you?"

The captain looked down at himself and blushed.

"How did I even manage this?"

The Welshman shrugged falling into the only chair left.

"I didn't double check you before you went out this morning. You look a sight though."

Jack groaned, rubbing his face before peeling out of the jacket and methodically adjusting his clothing.

"How did you manage to fuck up getting dressed, but Tea-Boy here still looks immaculate?"

The immortal shrugged, straightening his braces.

"No clue. Yan, go ahead and fill them in on our plans."

The Welshman nodded, leaning back in his chair.

"Mrs. and Mrs. Mayweather. First of all,how are you both today? I know that current events have a bit rough."

Gertrude shrugged.

"Please. It's the most fun I've had in decades. I never realized how much I missed it."

Ianto nodded, smiling kindly at them.

"Jack and I have been putting our heads together-"

Owen rolled his eyes.

"I bet you were."

Jack grinned.

"Hey, I'm the only one who gets to harass Ianto."

The archivist sighed.

"WE came to the decision that you two have gone far above and beyond anything we could have asked. That being said,it is very unwise for you two to remain in Cardiff."

Olivia nodded, gripping Gertrude's hand on top of the table.

"We've thought of that. We have a friend in London that we want to go visit, then we were thinking maybe travelling a bit."

The Welshman grinned at them.

"Our thoughts exactly, and it will be on a stipend provided by Torchwood,of course, supplemented by any income made off of your Inn."

A tear fell from Olivia's eyes,and Gertrude squeezed her hand gently.

"That sounds lovely. Mrs. Hudson will be so glad to see us too, she's been dying for us to meet her new tenants."

Tosh paused, and then shook here head.

_It must be a coincidence. _

Jack turned to Martha, his hands splayed on the table.

"Martha dear, how would you feel about working for Torchwood."

The woman glanced around.

"Jack, I'd love to but you know London is-"

He held up a hand,silencing her.

"As our liaison officer to UNIT. You'd be calling the shots for a lot of UNIT, but under our payroll."

The woman clambered up from her chair,nearly tripping over the table to hug the captain.

Her exited squeal was more than enough to confirm her thoughts on the topic.

"What about Glib and Fall?"

"Ianto and I will be personally escorting them to their new home. for say,the next two weeks?"

"One."

The Welshman warned, and the captain shook his head.

Tosh giggled.

"Sounds like a plan. Anything else?"

"Yes, actually."

Olivia piped in, her hand raising timidly.

"What is it?"

"Can I feed Myfanwy?"

The room rippled into yet another roar of laughter.

Ianto shook his head slightly.

"Of course you can. Come on then."


	111. Chapter 111: Epilogue

One week after the events that Captain Jack Harkness unsuccessfully attempted to dub The Great Change, things seemed to settle for the Torshwood team.

The Mayweathers safely made the journey to London.

They are currently staying with one Mrs. Hudson, and are indeed finding her new tenants very interesting.

Owen, after some subtle hing from Tosh, has begun the process of selling his flat.

After all, why would a dead man want to live alone?

Glib and Fall are restlessly awaiting transfer to their new place of residence.

They are both very eager to start their new lies as citizens of Earth.

John Hart is still gallivanting about space and time, thieving and shagging and causing mayhem.

But he stopped to help in little ways, as well as completely upgrading his wardrobe.

All thanks to his eye-candy.

Martha resigned from UNIT, being then instantly instated as liaison councilor for Torchwood.

Sense then several people have resigned from the highest echelons of power within UNIT.

And what of our Welshman and his captain?

Well, they're currently packing for a trip to the Mediterranean, for business of course.


End file.
